Beaches in North Carolina

B

BigOrange

100+ Posts
I am in the process of exploring a potential vacation to North Carolina next summer and I am in need of help as I know little to nothing about North Carolina. We want to go to the beach, that would be our main reason for going, so where is the best place to go, whats the best time of the year to go, etc, etc?

Any and all help is appreciated.
 
The Outer Banks (OBX) is a pretty big place with many things to offer, so it depends upon what you want to do.
If you have kids or want to be in a place with more civilization (i.e. restaurants), then stay in the Northern part of OBX (Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Duck, Corolla). The Wright Bros/Kitty Hawk Natl Monument is pretty neat.
If you want a quiet, more remote time, then stay down towards Avon, Buxton, and Hatteras Village. You can always drive up to Nags Head for the action, but it takes 30-45 mins or so.

Another option is to stay in the Wilmington/Cape Fear area. Wrightsville Beach is not bad, plus Wilimington is a neat old city. Take an afternoon and tour the Battleship North Carolina; probably one of the best ship tours I've done. In the same area is Bald Head Island. You can only get to it by ferry and you leave your car behind. No cars on the Island; just golf carts and bicycles. Very nice homes/condos to rent; good golf course and beaches.

Finally, don't discount the Atlantic Beach/Emerald Isle stretch of beach. A lot of NC folks go there. IMO it has the best balance of restaurants, beach, and casual relaxation. Take a day trip to Beaufort to see a small old seaside town.

PM me if you want more info.
 
Taco is correct. I've never been to some of the places he has recommended but I do go to the Outer Banks (OBX) 3 times a year. I prefer Duck, Corolla or Southern Shores.
 
stay away from ocean city MD. if you want to go that direction, check out rehobeth or dewey beach both in Delaware. i would also recommend duck or corolla, both very nice.
 
I went to a wedding in Duck the weekend before Memorial Day. So we missed the crowd. Most people actually stayed at The Sanderling Inn just north of Duck. (The Groomsmen & Ushers stayed in a house just north of that.)

There were really any people on the beach that weekend. Even during the summer, I don't know how crowded it is up there (that far north on the Outer Banks) other than Memorial Day, 4th of July, & Labor Day.

I'm thinking that further south near Kitty Hawk the beach is much more crowded because that is close to the causeway.

I can't really tell you about any other part of the state.
 
We travelled to the OBX a lot as a teenager, and I remember liking the Duck area the best. It was a lot less crowded than the places a bit further south, but it still wasn't too far of a drive if you wanted to go find some good seafood for dinner.

If you're not married to North Carolina for the trip, I would highly recommend Pawley's Island in South Carolina.
 
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