🏖️ Things to Do · Outer Banks, NC
Things to Do in the Outer Banks, NC
37 real, currently-operating attractions and tours across every category — lighthouses, wild horse safaris, Wright Brothers history, and water sports — so you can plan around what you actually want to do.
🏘 4 Historic Lighthouses
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☩️ History
🐎 Wild Horses
🏊 Dunes
🏄 Water Sports
👻 Ghost Tours
🌿 Nature
🐴 Ocracoke
🎮 Family Fun
Tips
FAQ
The Outer Banks is best known for what’s free — more than 100 miles of undeveloped beach, the tallest natural sand dune system on the East Coast at Jockey’s Ridge, and the wide-open barrier-island drive itself — but the real attractions are just as much a draw: four historic lighthouses you can visit (two of them still climbable), the spot where the Wright Brothers actually flew, wild Spanish Mustangs roaming free north of Corolla, and Ocracoke Island’s own wild ponies at the far southern end, reachable only by ferry. We checked each operator, park, and historic site directly against its own official or government site rather than a generic aggregator list.
Four Historic Lighthouses, Corolla to Ocracoke
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Tallest brick lighthouse in North America (197 ft) in Buxton, a National Historic Landmark — closed for climbing in 2026 for restoration, grounds still open.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse
Climbable 1875 red-brick lighthouse in Corolla (220 steps), operated by the nonprofit Outer Banks Conservationists.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
Black-and-white striped 1872 lighthouse near Nags Head — currently the only Outer Banks lighthouse open for climbing (late April-mid October).
Ocracoke Lighthouse
Oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina (1823), in Ocracoke Village — not open for climbing, base viewable seasonally.
Aviation & the Lost Colony
Wright Brothers National Memorial
NPS site in Kill Devil Hills marking the location of the first powered airplane flight, December 17, 1903.
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Interactive state historic site in Manteo with a representational 16th-century ship and settlement-site museum.
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
NPS site on Roanoke Island preserving the location of England’s first New World colonies (1580s).
The Lost Colony
Long-running outdoor symphonic drama (since 1937) at the Waterside Theatre, dramatizing the vanished Roanoke colonists.
Elizabethan Gardens
Nonprofit botanical gardens in Manteo adjoining Fort Raleigh, memorializing the lost colonists’ era.
4×4 Safari Tours & the Herd’s Nonprofit
Corolla Wild Horse Fund
Nonprofit managing and protecting the Corolla wild (Banker) horse herd, with a museum, gift shop, and guided events.
Wild Horse Adventure Tours
Off-road Hummer H1 wild horse safari tours into the 4×4 area north of Corolla.
Bob’s Corolla Wild Horse Tours
Open-air 4WD guided wild horse tours with seasonal daily departures.
Corolla Wild Horse Tours
4WD safari tours covering roughly 25 miles into the 4×4 area to view the Spanish Mustangs.
Back Country Safari Tours
Wild horse safari tours in open-air vehicles, operating in Corolla since 1993.
Corolla Outback Adventures
Wild horse, ecology, and history 4WD tours run by Benders Beach Services.
Nags Head & Manteo
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
The tallest natural sand dune system on the East Coast, in Nags Head — hang gliding, kiteboarding, and sandboarding launch here.
Kitty Hawk Kites
The world’s largest hang gliding school, flagship location on Jockey’s Ridge; also parasailing, kiteboarding, kayak tours, and ziplines.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
State aquarium in Manteo with stingray, shark, and otter exhibits and a Sea Turtle Rehabilitation (STAR) Center.
Kiteboarding, Charters & Jennette’s Pier
REAL Watersports
Premier kiteboarding, surf, wing, and foil lesson center in Waves on Hatteras Island, operating since 2001.
Kitty Hawk Kayak & Surf School
Kayak eco-tours, surf lessons and camps, SUP trips, and rentals across Kitty Hawk through Hatteras, since 2006.
Outer Banks Surf School
Private and group surf lessons and kids camps based in Nags Head, serving Corolla to Hatteras.
OBX Parasail
Parasailing flights (500 ft/800 ft) out of Manteo, partnered with Kitty Hawk Kites, seasonal late March-early October.
Kitty Hawk Surf Co
Parasailing, jet ski tours, jetpack/flyboard, and surf/SUP lessons and rentals across multiple OBX locations.
Outer Banks Adventures
Jet ski rentals, airboat marsh and wildlife tours, parasailing, and kayak/SUP tours, family-owned 40+ years.
Oregon Inlet Fishing Center
The largest charter fishing fleet on the East Coast, based at Oregon Inlet near Nags Head — half-day, nearshore, and offshore Gulf Stream trips.
Miss Hatteras
Head boat (party boat) out of Hatteras Village for full/half-day offshore Gulf Stream fishing plus sunset and dolphin cruises, 30+ years operating.
Jennette’s Pier
Historic fishing pier in Nags Head operated by the NC Aquarium, open year-round with a full pier house.
Downeast Rover
55-ft topsail schooner sunset and daytime sailing cruises on Roanoke Sound out of Manteo, operating since 1991.
Historic Manteo
OBX Ghost Tours
The longest-running Outer Banks ghost and haunted walking tour, through historic downtown Manteo (about 75 minutes, family-friendly).
Maritime Forests, Wildlife & Shipwreck History
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
1938 USFWS refuge on northern Hatteras Island for migratory birds and sea turtles, with hiking trails and a visitor center.
Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve
Nature Conservancy preserve in Kill Devil Hills protecting one of the largest maritime forests on the East Coast, free with 8 self-guided trails.
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
North Carolina state museum in Hatteras Village on the region’s shipwreck history and maritime heritage.
Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum
Nonprofit museum and gift shop in Ocracoke preserving the island’s maritime and cultural heritage.
Wild Ponies & History, Ferry-Only
Ocracoke Pony Pens
NPS-managed herd of about 15 Banker ponies on NC Highway 12, viewable from an observation platform since the early 1960s.
Ocracoke British Cemetery
NPS-maintained memorial in Ocracoke Village to 4 Royal Navy sailors of HMT Bedfordshire, sunk by a U-boat in 1942.
Go-Karts & Escape Rooms
Corolla Raceway
Go-kart track in Corolla with multiple kart types, bumper cars, and an arcade, open daily year-round.
OB-Xscape Rooms
9-themed escape room venue in Southern Shores, a TripAdvisor Award of Excellence winner.
Planning Tips for This Area
- Lighthouse climbing is seasonal and can change year to year. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is closed for restoration in 2026 — always confirm current climbing status before you plan a visit around it.
- The wild horses of Corolla live in a 4×4-only area you can’t reach in a regular car. You need either a 4WD vehicle of your own or a guided tour — several real operators run daily safaris.
- Ocracoke Island requires a ferry. Build the ferry schedule into your day — it’s not a quick side trip from the northern beaches.
- Hours and status change seasonally. Every detail above was pulled from the operator’s own site, but call ahead to confirm before visiting, especially outside peak summer months.
Can I still climb Cape Hatteras Lighthouse?
Not currently — it’s closed for restoration in 2026, though the grounds remain open. Bodie Island Lighthouse near Nags Head is presently the only Outer Banks lighthouse open for climbing, seasonally from late April to mid-October.
How do I see the wild horses of Corolla?
They live in a 4×4-only area north of Corolla that regular cars can’t reach. Book a guided safari tour with an operator like Corolla Wild Horse Tours or Wild Horse Adventure Tours, or drive in with your own 4WD vehicle.
What’s the deal with Ocracoke Island’s wild ponies?
A small NPS-managed herd of about 15 Banker ponies lives in a fenced pen on NC Highway 12, viewable from an observation platform — distinct from Corolla’s free-roaming herd farther north.
How does NME choose which attractions to feature?
We verify each operator, park, or historic site directly against its own official or government site rather than relying on aggregator lists, and we exclude anything we can’t confirm is currently operating. Read more on our
If you know a great attraction, tour, or activity across the Outer Banks we’re missing, email us and we’ll take a look.Know Something We Missed?
Heading to the Outer Banks?
See the full trip guide — where to stay and where to eat, organized the same way, by category.
