Best Activities to Do During an Outer Banks Vacation
Home to picturesque beaches, rich history, and outdoor leisure, the Outer Banks of North Carolina are the best spot for a vacation. With a plethora of things to do, there is an activity for just about any person. Rest on the beach, walk around the area, or visit one of the multiple historical sites. Below are a number of the top things to do on an Outer Banks holiday.
When vacationing in the Outer Banks, heading to the beach is one of the area’s top activities. Both leisure and exciting activities grace the Outer Banks’ beautiful beaches. Spread yourself on the beach and get some sunshine, or go for a dip in the ocean. The beach is the perfect place to build a sandcastle, search for seashells, or go for a leisurely stroll. Out on the ocean’s waves, watersports of every kind occur. Ranging from jet skiing to windsurfing, the Outer Banks is rich with outdoor activities. The beach of the Outer Banks is also home to outstanding fishing. From casting a line at the pier to charting a boat to find those deep sea catches, fisherman of the Outer Banks are hardly ever disappointed. While vacationing in the Outer Banks, visiting the beach is the most important thing.
The Outer Banks’ rich history means the area is a location for museums, national memorials, historic lighthouses, state parks, and even wild horses. Orville and Wilbur Wright took their first flight on the Outer Banks in 1903, and currently their original equipment can be seen at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. The Outer Banks’ five lighthouses are another part of the area’s history worth exploring. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Currituck Beach Lighthouse are open to climbing, while Bodie Island Lighthouse, Ocracoke Lighthouse, and Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse can be observed from the bottom. Jockey’s Ridge State Park provides the perfect place to experience outdoor recreation. Home to the largest active sand dune system on the east coast, the park is the ideal place to go for a hike, watch wildlife, fly a kite, or go sandboarding. Another historic aspect of the Outer Banks is the Corolla wild horses. Supposedly the ancestors of horses brought over by Spaniards exploring the “New World,” the Corolla wild horses can be seen on guided tours, or on your own providing you have a four-wheel drive vehicle.
Visiting the islands of Roanoke and Ocracoke are another must when vacationing in the Outer Banks. Once home to English settlers who strangely disappeared in the late 1500s, Roanoke Island is now home to the Elizabethan Gardens, the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and the dramatic performance of “The Lost Colony,” the legend of the first Roanoke Island settlers. Only a free 40 minute ferry trip away lies Ocracoke Island. Home to some of the Outer Banks’ most spectacular and pristine beaches, Ocracoke’s lack of buildings makes it the first location to truly relax. The island is famous for its uncrowded beaches and perfect ship wreck scuba diving. Both of these islands offer their own unique qualities, neither of which should be missed.