Kick off your shoes for a leg-stretching climb up Jockey's Ridge, the largest sand dune on the East Coast. With a 360-degree view that sweeps over the Atlantic Ocean and Roanoke Sound, it's a gorgeous spot to watch the sunset.
Jockey's Ridge State Park
Outer Banks
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Wright Brothers National Memorial
4.2 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…
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
4.73 MILES
In the late 1580s, three decades before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, a group of 116 British colonists disappeared without a trace from their…
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
10.99 MILES
Although not strictly on an Outer Banks island (it's part of the mainland), this 154,000-acre wildlife reserve of wild lands and waters is managed by Dare…
4.09 MILES
Go on a swashbuckling adventure at this 25-acre park, telling the story of the first English settlement attempt in 1585. Visitors can climb aboard a 16th…
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
18.73 MILES
At the northern end of Hatteras Island, and named after the dune peas that grow in the sand, this 5834-acre (land portion only) reserve is a bird-watcher…
15.89 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…
10.72 MILES
Built in 1872, this photogenic lighthouse opened its doors to visitors in 2013. The 170ft-high structure still has its original Fresnel lens – a rarity…
4.82 MILES
The 16th-century-style Elizabethan Gardens include a Shakespearean herb garden and rows of beautifully manicured flower beds. Check online to see what's…
Nearby Outer Banks attractions
1. Roanoke Island Festival Park
4.09 MILES
Go on a swashbuckling adventure at this 25-acre park, telling the story of the first English settlement attempt in 1585. Visitors can climb aboard a 16th…
2. Wright Brothers National Memorial
4.2 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…
3. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
4.73 MILES
In the late 1580s, three decades before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, a group of 116 British colonists disappeared without a trace from their…
4.82 MILES
The 16th-century-style Elizabethan Gardens include a Shakespearean herb garden and rows of beautifully manicured flower beds. Check online to see what's…
10.72 MILES
Built in 1872, this photogenic lighthouse opened its doors to visitors in 2013. The 170ft-high structure still has its original Fresnel lens – a rarity…
6. Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
10.99 MILES
Although not strictly on an Outer Banks island (it's part of the mainland), this 154,000-acre wildlife reserve of wild lands and waters is managed by Dare…
7. Waterfront Shops & Boardwalk
15.89 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…
8. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
18.73 MILES
At the northern end of Hatteras Island, and named after the dune peas that grow in the sand, this 5834-acre (land portion only) reserve is a bird-watcher…