Usually, a beach town has one beach, one town, and that’s about it. When it comes to the Outer Banks, though, the terms actually refers to nearly 100 miles of coastline and more than 10 different beaches.
While you get navigate between Outer Banks beaches via highway North Carolina 12, you generally want to stay near the beach that best fits your vacation needs.
As an overview, here is a guideline to Outer Banks beaches with a focus on the Northern Beach Towns.
Northern Beach Towns
The Northern Beach Towns include Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head.
Any of these options would be great for a family vacation or a couple’s getaway, and they’re known as some of the best beaches along the East Coast.
Duck: If you have a dog, Duck is your new favorite beach. In fact, Duck is one of the most pet-friendly beaches in existence; so long as the dog is under control, you can keep it off leash to enjoy the sand and the waves.
Another interesting note about Duck is that there’s no public beach access. Instead, you can only access the beach if you own or are staying within a Home Owners Association.
Southern Shores: Unlike Duck, Southern Shores has some great public beach access. While the beaches are open to the public, however, the parking is very limited. Only residents or vacationers who are staying within the town of Southern Shores can access parking. Be sure to plan ahead in this capacity.
Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills: If you want to adventure in the water, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills (right near each other) are great for surfing, skimboarding, and boogie boarding.
Nags Head: If you want to lay out on the sand, fly a kite, and play frisbee with the kids, look no further than Nags Head. With 12 miles of refurbished and beautiful beaches, Nags Head carries a better capacity for the summertime crowds.
Because the Outer Banks gets so crowded, it’s worth doing your research as you plan your vacation. Make sure you know which beach you want to stay at and the various regulations of each Outer Banks beach.
