A hidden 0.3-mile Boardwalk Trail (with disabled access) and a 0.75-mile Maritime Forest Trail snake through sections of the 950-acre Currituck Banks Reserve. These walks take visitors through various terrains – sand dunes, salt marsh and maritime swamp forest and onto a tranquil view of Currituck Sound. Look for owls, egrets, lizards, osprey and more. Wear mosquito repellent in the warmer months. Find it before you reach Corolla Beach (access by 4WD only); there's a small parking lot at the trailhead.
Currituck Banks Maritime Forest Trail
Outer Banks
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Wright Brothers National Memorial
27.29 MILES
Self-taught engineers Wilbur and Orville Wright launched the world's first successful airplane flight on December 17, 1903 (it lasted 12 seconds). A…
1.12 MILES
The sunflower-yellow, art nouveau–style Whalehead Club, built in the 1920s as a hunting 'cottage' for a Philadelphia industrialist, is the centerpiece of…
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
16.77 MILES
This 9250-acre wildlife and migratory-bird marshland habitat is most stunning during the December migration season. The refuge's visitor center is open…
1.04 MILES
This very pleasant manicured park in Corolla preserves 39 acres of gorgeous sound-front and sound-side property that was once the waterfowl- and duck…
15.67 MILES
A pleasant waterfront boardwalk with 27 shops and eateries dotted around it. Peruse local design shops, do a Village Yoga session, or grab a bottle of…
Corolla Wild Horse Fund Museum
0.75 MILES
This small nonprofit museum spotlights the wild mustangs that inhabit the dunes and shoreline north of Corolla. Also runs two-hour tours to see the horses…
Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
1.02 MILES
This modern education center has an 8000-gallon aquarium and a life-size marsh diorama with a duck blind. Don't miss the 20-minute film about area history…
0.9 MILES
You'll climb 220 steps to get to the top of this red-brick lighthouse, which is still in operation. The light from its Fresnal lens can be seen from 18…
Nearby Outer Banks attractions
1. Corolla Wild Horse Fund Museum
0.75 MILES
This small nonprofit museum spotlights the wild mustangs that inhabit the dunes and shoreline north of Corolla. Also runs two-hour tours to see the horses…
0.9 MILES
You'll climb 220 steps to get to the top of this red-brick lighthouse, which is still in operation. The light from its Fresnal lens can be seen from 18…
3. Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
1.02 MILES
This modern education center has an 8000-gallon aquarium and a life-size marsh diorama with a duck blind. Don't miss the 20-minute film about area history…
1.04 MILES
This very pleasant manicured park in Corolla preserves 39 acres of gorgeous sound-front and sound-side property that was once the waterfowl- and duck…
1.12 MILES
The sunflower-yellow, art nouveau–style Whalehead Club, built in the 1920s as a hunting 'cottage' for a Philadelphia industrialist, is the centerpiece of…
6. Waterfront Shops & Boardwalk
15.67 MILES
A pleasant waterfront boardwalk with 27 shops and eateries dotted around it. Peruse local design shops, do a Village Yoga session, or grab a bottle of…
7. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
16.77 MILES
This 9250-acre wildlife and migratory-bird marshland habitat is most stunning during the December migration season. The refuge's visitor center is open…
8. Wright Brothers National Memorial
27.29 MILES
Self-taught engineers Wilbur and Orville Wright launched the world's first successful airplane flight on December 17, 1903 (it lasted 12 seconds). A…