Visitors to the Outer Banks are recreation lovers. After all, with an area known for its natural beauty, why wouldn’t you want to be outside taking full advantage of every Outer Banks thing to do you could think of? Perhaps the Outer Banks’ biggest draw is Mother Ocean and her surrounding sandy beaches. When it comes to things to do on the Outer Banks, the top of anyone’s to-do list involves getting in or near the water. That translates into sunbathing, swimming, body boarding, skimboarding, surfing, scuba diving, shelling, sea glass hunting, shore walking…and did we mention just sitting and looking at those meditative waves rolling in? Check out the Things To Do in Hatteras section and the Things To Do in Ocracoke section for the scoop on the best ways to enjoy the water.
Of course, the Outer Banks things to do on the sound are just as numerous as those on the ocean. Take a peek at the sound, and you almost always see someone boating, sailing, parasailing, kiteboarding, standup paddleboarding, clamming, windsurfing, kayaking or Jet Skiing. Check out Things To Do in Nags Head or Things To Do in Duck, NC, for your watersports options.
Outer Banks Things To Do on Dry Land!
Feel more like a dry activity? No problem! If fishing is the ticket, there are many opportunities to wet a line with piers, bridges, shorelines, the sound, bays, offshore and inshore charters. Along a similar drift, a dolphin or sightseeing boat tour is a popular Outer Banks thing to do, and you can learn more in the Things To Do on Roanoke Island section. And no equine lover's trip to the Outer Banks is complete without seeing the wild horses, a popular Thing To Do in Corolla, NC. Want to see as much of the Outer Banks as you can by walking, jogging or biking? Then you’ll love it here! Each town has either a designated bike path, boardwalks or back roads that are so lovely you’ll forget all about the fact that you have three more miles to go!
Outer Banks Things To Do by Area
Corolla | Duck & Southern Shores | Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills & Nags Head
Roanoke Island & Manteo | Hatteras Island | Ocracoke Island
Outer Banks Things To Do by Category
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is the only place in the world where endangered red wolves exist in the wild. To learn more about the endangered...read more
Going fishing is one of the most enjoyable ways to spend an afternoon on Ocracoke's pleasant soundside waters, and you can explore the waters between...read more
Ride Hatteras is a surf shop and watersports outfitter. The shop sells name-brand surf-inspired clothing and accessories for men and women along with all...read more
This little museum and gallery is behind the home of the owner on Ananias Dare Street across the main highway from the downtown area. Herbert Bliven runs a...read more
Roanoke Island Artisans is a place for nurturing your creative self. It's a working art studio where you can create your own crafts and masterpieces in...read more
The Roanoke Island Dog Park offers two fenced areas, one for large dogs and one for small dogs. The dogs can enjoy a large grass area and water features,...read more
Experience a new adventure in an old world at Roanoke Island Festival Park. This 25-acre historic site allows guests of all...read more
Roanoke Island Fitness Lab, R.I.F.L. for short, is a place where people of all ages and fitness levels come together in the name of fitness and wellness....read more
Originally a boathouse used to build world-record–holding speedboats, this building has seen a variety of boat-building uses in its day. The building’s...read more
Roanoke Island Outfitters and Dive Center is a full-service dive shop that offers dive charters, beach dives, training, gear sales and rentals. They...read more
Perched over the water along Manteo’s waterfront boardwalk, the picturesque Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is perfectly suited to the town’s maritime setting....read more
This playground in Rodanthe offers slides, swings and climbing equipment. It's on the site of the Rodanthe Community Center. read more
