Nags Head; Outer Banks, North Carolina

My wife and I completed our short trip to Nags Head, part of the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Normally, we don’t take much interest in beach vacations, but the slower-paced atmosphere of the area and our decision not to schedule activities in advance resulted in a relaxed vacation.

One of the first features of the cultural landscape that stands out at Nags Head is the lack of high-rise resort hotels. The tallest hotels are approximately five to seven floors and number less than a half dozen. There is also a small number one and two floor hotels to serve visitors. The dominant buildings in Nags Head are beach houses. Designed as low-density housing, beach houses provide limited accommodation for residents and visitors. As a result, Nags Head and the surrounding region does not suffer from severe congestion. There is plenty of space on the beaches and in the water to move around. These characteristics come together to form a relaxed atmosphere.

Nags Head, NC; viewed from a sand dune.

Our first stop was the town of Manteo, located along Shallowbag Bay. I had the opportunity to go aboard the Elizabeth II, a representative 16th sailing ship that transported some of the earliest English colonists to the area. From there, we headed over to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, home of the first known portions of England’s first settlements in North America. From there, we headed back toward Nags Head and stopped for dinner at The Jolly Roger Restaurant; the food was amazing and the Jolly Roger had a “warm and cozy” atmosphere.

The inviting atmosphere of the Jolly Roger Restaurant at Kill Devil Hills.

On our one full day at Nags Head, we started off spending time on the beach. Early in the morning we sat on our beach towels and enjoyed coffee and donuts. We did not realize it at first, but we were being “watched” by hermit crabs peeking out of their sand burrows all around us. After finishing our breakfast, we tested the water of the Atlantic Ocean; we spent a few hours rolling over waves and swimming.

View of the Atlantic Ocean from the beach at Nags Head, NC.

One of the many hermit crabs peaking at us while we sat on the beach.

We devoted the rest of the day exploring several parks along the Outer Banks. Cape Hatteras National Seashore offers an opportunity to view the barrier islands in their natural state. We stopped by the Bodie Island Lighthouse anticipating a climb up to the top, but the lighthouse was closed for renovation and will not reopen until summer 2013. However, there is a boardwalk path to an observation deck overlooking salt marsh habitats. The overlook provides a great opportunity to view various species of birds, including pelicans, hawks and geese. 

Grassland at Cape Hatteras.

View of the salt marshes from the overlook at Cape Hatteras.

Tall grass line the boardwalk at Cape Hatteras.

After visiting Cape Hatteras, we took a drive along U.S. 64 toward Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Located about 5 miles outside the town of Manteo, we crossed the Croatan Sound into the refuge. The refuge consists of high and low pocosin, bogs, fresh and brackish water marshes, hardwood swamps and Atlantic white cedar swamps. The refuge is considered one of the last strongholds for the black bear along the eastern seaboard and is also home to the American Alligator. The refuge is unique as the site of the first-ever attempt to establish the red-wolf, a species previously extinct in the wild.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge has a wildlife trail accessible by vehicle.

A view from the wildlife trail.

The refuge is home to a variety of species of wildlife.

Our last stop for the day was at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, located in Nags Head. As a result of efforts by locals to save Jockey’s Ridge from housing development in the early 1970s, Jockey’s Ridge State Park remains home to the the tallest active sand dune system in the Eastern United States. Jockey’s Ridge consists of three ecological environments: Dunes, Maritime Thicket and the Roanoke Sound Estuary. To get to the dunes, visitors must pass through the maritime thicket; the area consists of a variety of species of trees including live oak, red cedar and pine. The wind and salt stunts the growth of these trees, causing many of them to look like shrubs. The dunes themselves have no vegetation and the sand is very fine, almost like baby powder. Because of their height, the dunes offer great views of the Roanoke Sound to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the surrounding town of Nags Head, making it well worth the climb.

Once visitors get past the maritime thicket, the sand feels like baby powder under the feet.

A view of maritime thicket from the observation deck.

A view of the Roanoke Sound from on top of a sand dune.

The setting sun over the Roanoke Sound, viewed from a sand dune.

Before heading back to northern Virginia, we stopped at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk. Wanting to get home at a decent hour, we did not spend much time here. We viewed the large stone monument on Big Kill Devil Hill and metal sculpture of the Wright Brothers airplane. 

Wright Brothers monument on top Big Kill Devil Hill.

Full size metal sculpture of the Wright Brothers airplane.