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Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
(252) 473-1131
Over 150,000 acres of wetland with a wide variety of wildlife, ranging from wood ducks and alligators to red wolves and black bears. Atlantic white cedar, bald cypress & shrubs are abundant. Hiking trails, observation platforms, fishing areas, kayak trails. Guided canoe tours available for a fee. No admission.
Bodie Island Marshes
Bird watching - parking areas adjacent. Many species of wildfowl during winter months. Egret, Heron, Glossy Ibis, wading birds from spring until autumn. National Park Service-controlled wildfowl hunting in season.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
Eight miles south of U.S. 158 and U.S. 64 intersection
(252) 441-5711
Visitor center,
seashore information and lighthouse exhibits. Self-guided Nature Trail. Open all year round. No Admission.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Off Hwy. 12 at Buxton
(252) 995-4474
Tallest brick lighthouse on American Coast at 208 feet high and one of the nation’s well-known landmarks. Open for climbing March 25th to Columbus Day. Former keeper’s quarters serves as visitor center and a museum and is open year-round. National Seashore information.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Dedicated in 1953, Cape Hatteras National Seashore was the country’s first national seashore and remains one of the most popular. Stretching 75 miles along the Outer Banks from Nags Head to Ocracoke, the national seashore attracts beach goers, fishermen, lighthouse lovers, bird watchers, and a host of other visitors, drawn by the peace and serenity of the unique barrier island chain.
Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station
Off Hwy. 12 at Buxton
(252) 987-1552
Original station built in 1874. Converted into boathouse when new station constructed in 1911. History of daring rescues. No admission.
Coquina Beach/“Laura Barnes” Shipwreck
Off Hwy. 12 eight miles south of U.S. 158
Picnic shelters, bath houses open year-round, protected swimming in season. Situated at Coquina Beach is the “Laura Barnes,” shipwrecked in 1921. Other shipwrecks can be found along the coast but are not always visible due to changing tides and shifting sands.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse
(252) 453-4939
Located in Corolla, the lighthouse stands at 158 feet and visitors can climb the 214 steps to the top for a panoramic view. It is open daily Easter through Thanksgiving. Fee.
Duck Pier Research Station
(252) 261-6840 ext. 401
Located north of Duck in northern Dare County. Research pier operated by Army Corps of Engineers. Gazebo visual displays. Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy. Walking and guided tours Monday-Friday at 10am only. Mid-June - Aug., free parking. Grounds restricted at other times.
Elizabethan Gardens
(252) 473-3234
Located at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site beside Lost Colony Waterside Theatre. Celebrates Queen Elizabeth I and First Colonists. Sunken Garden, antique statuary, Herb Garden, colorful displays of flowers, shrubs and trees for the entire family to enjoy. Gift Shop and plant sales. Admission fees. Open year round.
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
(252) 473-5772
www.nps.gov/fora
North end of Roanoke Island where Sir Walter Raleigh’s explorers and colonists established settlement in 1585. Virginia Dare was the first child of English parents born in America before the colony’s mysterious disappearance. Visitors center, interpretive programs, nature trail. Open year-round. Free.
Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center
Located on Hwy. 12 in Frisco
(252) 995-4440
Museum has authentic collections of ancient artifacts and unusual displays. Natural History center features self-guiding wooded trails, exhibits, a screened pavilion with fireplace, BBQ and picnic tables. Classrooms available for presentations, seminars, etc, upon request. Admission charge.
George Washington Creef Boat Shop
(252) 475-1750
A working boatshop offered by the NC Maritime Museum located on the Manteo Waterfront. Learn about Roanoke Island’s maritime heritage and watch the age-old form of boat restoration and construction as you interact with the curator and volunteers who work there. Open year-round. No Admission.
Hatteras Inlet Free Ferry
Toll-free ferry connection between Hatteras Village and N.E. tip of Ocracoke Island. See Ferry Schedule.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Located off U.S. 158 Bypass
(252) 441-7132
www.jockeysridgestatepark.com
The 400-acre park houses the highest sand dunes on the east coast. Nature programs during summer. Self-guided trail, “Tracks in the Sand,” open year-round. Hang gliding, climbing, picnic facilities, visitor center, public restrooms. Park hours are 8am-9pm June-August; and 8am-8pm April, May and September; 8am-6pm November-Febuary; 8am-7pm March and October. Visitors Center hours vary. Please call for more information.
Lost Colony
(252) 473-3414
Relive the exciting story of The Lost Colony, America’s first and longest-running Outdoor Drama, written by Pulitzer-Prize winner Paul Green and performed under the stars at the beautiful waterside theatre. Presented nightly except Sundays, mid-June-late August.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
(252) 473-3494
Sharks and alligators are among the living creatures on exhibit. Touch skates, rays or horseshoe crabs. Come visit the Aquarium and experience the natural world. Live animal exhibits, animal feeding programs and field trips are available, call for reservations. Open year-round. Admission fee.
Ocracoke Island
Reservations: (800) 345-1665 for departures from Ocracoke
Reservations: (800) 856-0343 for departures from Cedar Island
Reservations: (800) 773-1094 for departures from Swan Quarter
NPS Visitor Center: (252) 928-4531
Fourteen miles in length. Ocracoke Village is a picturesque fishing community. Blackbeard was slain here in 1718. Open May through September. Silver Lake Harbor, public airstrip. Toll ferries connect Ocracoke to Cedar Island and Ocracoke to Swan Quarter. Free ferry from Hatteras Island.
Ocracoke Lighthouse
Completed in 1823, the sturdy 75-foot lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina and one of the oldest in southeast. The lighthouse is the third beacon to mark Ocracoke inlet since the 1790’s. A wooden lighthouse located in the middle of the inlet was destroyed by an 1818 lightning strike and a lightship moored nearby was repeatedly driven ashore by bad weather. Although a portion of the lightstation grounds are open to visitors, the tower is closed to the public.
Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
Located at Currituck Heritage Park, Corolla
(252) 453-0221
The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education in Corolla provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about northeastern North Carolina's rich natural history and heritage. The center houses an exhibit gallery, an auditorium, a museum store, a large decoy collection and a 12,000 gallon aquarium. Educational programs for all ages are also offered on a daily basis.
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
Adjacent to NC Route 12 between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe
Information headquarters seven miles south of inlet
(252) 473-1131
The 6, 000 acre refugee is home for more than 265 species of birds such as Canada geese, snow geese and 25 species of duck in the winter months. Spring to autumn a large variety of wading, shore and upland birds. Observation platforms near parking areas. No admission.
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Located across from the Manteo waterfront
24-hour events line: (252) 475-1506
Celebrate history, education and the arts! Climb aboard Elizabeth II, a sailing vessel representative of those that sailed to Roanoke in the New World in 1585. Hear the costumed sailors’ tales of treacherous voyages and a strange new land. Explore 400 years of Outer Banks history through hands-on exhibits in the Roanoke Adventure Museum. Learn about the island’s Native Americans in the original dramatic film The Legend of Two Path, and enjoy dance, drama and musical performances in The Pavilion. Daydream in The Gallery, where a new art exhibit appears each month, or take in a children’s performance in The Film Theater. Add a splendid Museum Store, porches, rocking chairs, marshside boardwalks, a fossil pit and acres of green lawns and you have the amazing Roanoke Island Festival Park. Open daily, hours vary. Admission charge.
The Whalehead Club
The mansion was the most famous of Currituck County’s huntclubs. The historic landmark was built in the 1920s by wealthy industrialist Edward C. Knight at a cost of approximately $400,000. Tours will be scheduled this summer.
Wright Brothers National Memorial
(252) 441-7430
It’s Visitor Center features a full-scale reproduction of original plane, information services, exhibits, talks on history of the Wright Brothers, conducted trip to grounds; the Wrights’ 1902-1903 camp buildings and reproductions. Public Airstrip. Admission fee. Open year-round. 9am-5pm.
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