Things to do in Outer Banks

See the black-and-white banded 1872 lighthouse over the marsh, and climb its 200-plus steps in season.

Nags Head, NC

See the black-and-white spiral-striped brick lighthouse that was moved 2,900 feet inland in 1999.

Buxton, NC

Walk miles of open Atlantic beach, visit three historic lighthouses and camp or fish along the Outer Banks barrier islands.

Buxton, NC

Climb 220 steps inside an unpainted red brick lighthouse for views of Currituck Sound and the Atlantic.

Corolla, NC

Climb the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast, fly a kite, try hang gliding or watch the sun set over Roanoke Sound.

Nags Head, NC

Stand where the Wright brothers first flew in 1903, walk the flight line and climb to the granite monument.

Kill Devil Hills, NC

Coastal national historic site on Roanoke Island marking early English colonization, a Reconstruction-era freedmen's settlement, and early radio experiments.

Manteo, NC

Walk boardwalks among old cypress trees on the shore of Lake Phelps and watch tundra swans that spend the winter on the lake.

Creswell, NC

A waterfront garden on the Outer Banks, set inside Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and run by a nonprofit.

Manteo, NC

A living-history park on Roanoke Island with a replica 16th-century ship, a recreated first English settlement, and an Outer Banks history museum.

Manteo, NC

A public aquarium on Roanoke Island featuring Outer Banks marine life, alligators, stingrays, and river otters.

Manteo, NC

A regional history museum in Elizabeth City that focuses on the Albemarle area of northeastern North Carolina.

Elizabeth City, NC