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Outer Banks Fun
Guide

Best Things to Do in the Outer Banks

From wild-horse tours in Corolla to lighthouse climbs on Hatteras — here's what's worth your time on the OBX.

Panoramic view of Jockey's Ridge sand dunes

Landmarks

Climb the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Climb 257 steps to the top of America's tallest brick lighthouse.

$All ages 42in+
(252) 473-2111Official site →

Climb the Currituck Beach Lighthouse

220 steps up an unpainted red-brick lighthouse for the best views of the northern beaches.

$Families & photographers
(252) 453-4939Official site →

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

Free museum on Hatteras Island packed with shipwreck artifacts, pirate history and WWII U-boat stories.

FreeHistory buffs & families
(252) 986-2995Official site →

The Elizabethan Gardens

10 acres of themed gardens honoring Sir Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony — quiet, romantic, camera-ready.

$$Couples & garden lovers
(252) 473-3234Official site →

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Walk the exact flight path from December 17, 1903.

$All ages
(252) 473-2111Official site →

Adventures

Corolla Adventure Park Ropes Course

Aerial ropes course with 60+ obstacles and zip lines through a maritime forest canopy.

$$Kids 7+ & active adults
(252) 453-6800Official site →

Hang Gliding Lessons at Jockey's Ridge

Learn to hang glide off the tallest sand dune on the East Coast — same spot the Wright Brothers trained.

$$$Adventure seekers 10+
(252) 441-4124Official site →

Kayak the Alligator River Refuge

Paddle blackwater canals through a cypress swamp — chance to spot black bears, red wolves and gators.

$$Nature lovers & paddlers
(252) 473-1131Official site →

Kiteboarding Lessons in Rodanthe

Learn to kiteboard in the shallow, steady wind of Pamlico Sound.

$$$Adults, teens
(252) 987-6000Official site →

Parasailing over the Sound

400-800 ft in the air over the Roanoke Sound — views from Jockey's Ridge to the Bonner Bridge.

$$$Thrill seekers 6+
(252) 441-4124Official site →

Sunset Catamaran Sail from Manteo

Two-hour sunset sail on the Roanoke Sound aboard a 42-ft catamaran — BYOB, dolphins often join.

$$Couples & families
(252) 473-4866Official site →

Family Fun

H2OBX Waterpark

30+ slides, a lazy river, wave pool and kids splash zone — the OBX's only full-scale waterpark.

$$$Families & teens
(252) 491-3000Official site →

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

Sea turtles, sharks, river otters and a life-size shipwreck tank — best rainy-day stop on the OBX.

$$Families with kids
(252) 475-2300Official site →

Food & Drink

OBX Brewing Station

The nation's first wind-powered brewery — flights, wood-fired pizzas and live music on the deck.

$$Adults & foodies
(252) 449-2739Official site →

Tours

Ocracoke Ferry Day Trip

Take the free 60-minute ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke Village.

FreeAll ages
(800) 293-3779Official site →

Wild Horse Tour in Corolla

See the Corolla wild mustangs on a guided 4x4 tour of the northern beaches.

$$Families, first-timers
(252) 489-2020Official site →

Outdoors

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

5,800 acres of undeveloped barrier island — birding, empty beaches and North Pond boardwalk.

FreeBirders & nature lovers
(252) 987-2394Official site →

Sunset Hike at Jockey's Ridge

Climb the tallest sand dunes on the East Coast for sunset over the sound.

FreeAll ages
(252) 441-7132Official site →

Nightlife

The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama

America's longest-running outdoor symphonic drama tells the story of the 1587 Roanoke colonists.

$$Couples & history buffs
(252) 473-6000Official site →