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
Driving on the beach is allowed in many areas of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. However, the National Park Service (NPS) requires visitors to have...read more
A favorite local activity is 4WD cruising the beach when the season allows.
In Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, you can drive on the beach from...read more
Beach Feet Nails is Ocracoke Island's only nail salon. Owner Molly O'Rourke offers pedicures and manicures for men, women and children. Consider booking...read more
When you are driving to the village from the lifeguard beach, look for a large black granite marker on the right side of N.C. Highway 12 just before you...read more
Being able to rent beach chairs and tents is a wonderful service, but having someone lug all that stuff to the beach and set it up for you then take it all...read more
Ocracoke’s beach has attracted increasing national attention as it worked its way up on Dr. Beach’s acclaimed annual list of 10 Best Beaches in the USA; he...read more
Beach Outfitters rents bikes, beach equipment, cottage needs, baby gear and other convenience items too cumbersome to pack. Their bikes come in three...read more
At the corner of Silver Lake Road and N.C. Highway 12, this service rents 4x4 vehicles, including Jeeps and SUVs that are perfect for driving on Ocracoke's...read more
The Outer Banks is one of the few coastal places where you can actually drive on the beach. The beaches north of Corolla (aka Carova, home of the wild...read more
This family-owned and -operated gem can now be found right on the sound, just across the street from the old location, in the same building as Austin's...read more
Beads & Grinds is a house of coffee and creativity in the heart of Buxton. They have all the coffee and espresso drinks you could want, plus they have...read more
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is home to one of the largest populations of black bears in the eastern United States. Learn more about the bears...read more
