With wild horses, beautiful beaches, and great food, the Outer Banks, North Carolina is a great destination for families. Learn what to consider on your trip with this list of 10 Things To Do In The Outer Banks, North Carolina With Kids!
We just returned from a fantastic family vacation to the Outer Banks, North Carolina {also referred to as OBX}. Sun, sand, driving distance, and large houses available to rent? Check!
I gathered some neighbor friends and booked a house through a rental company called Twiddy. If you’ve never traveled with other families, I highly suggest it…It’s SO much more fun and memorable for the kids. Our group of 20 enjoyed a week of fun in the sun…OK, with a few rainy days in the mix too 😉
First of all, location is important. The Outer Banks are barrier islands off the Atlantic Ocean and are rather large so choosing a location can be tricky. Here’s the best way to describe the different areas:
- Southern Shores – This area runs from Nags Head to Cape Hatteras. This is for those who want a more remote, quieter experience with gorgeous scenery.
- The Commercial Area – This area covers Kitty Hawk to Nags Head and is close to all the major attractions but a little older/more commercial. Still, ideal for families with younger children that may not want to spend all day at the beach.
- Duck to Corolla – Smaller village vibes that were just built up in the past 30 years, but there is still enough to do and places to eat {but no major chains — yay!}. North of Corolla are the beaches were horses roam and you must have a 4×4 vehicle to drive on the beach.
We stayed in Corolla {kuh-rul-la} and LOVED it. It definitely had a laid back vibe and all the rentals were gorgeous! While it was busy traffic-wise on the days rentals started, overall it wasn’t bad where we stayed on the northern end. It was easy enough to travel around to different spots, too. There’s pretty much one main road up the island, so it’s pretty hard to get lost!
Obviously when you have a house with both a beach and a pool, the most time will be spent there. We did make some time for a few adventures though, and these would be my recommendations if you’re visiting:
10 Things To Do In The Outer Banks North Carolina With Kids
Wild Horse Tour
Corolla is known for their wild Spanish Mustangs on the beach. They are majestic to see! Just don’t get too close because the fines for messing with them are major {as they should be}. The specific breed has lived on this beach since Spanish settlers first came. There are lots of options for wild horse tours. We went with Corolla Outback Adventures and thought our guide did a great job giving us the history and driving us through the beach terrain, which felt like a rollercoaster ride at times. Definitely something fun for all ages.
Dolphin Tour
The Outer Banks is a unique area for bottlenose dolphins who love the warmer waters on the sound side of the island. Our tour guide was a naturalist, and she really knew her stuff! I love that this tour had education and conservation top of mind. Though the day we visited was super rainy, so I didn’t get great photos, we still saw lots of dolphins on our tour, including some babies. My husband also did a fishing charter and said they saw lots of dolphins on that as well. The company we went with was the Nag’s Head Dolphin Watch.
Seafood Boil
Nothing screams a beach vacation to Michiganders quite like a seafood boil. We had the Outer Banks Boil Company visit our house and make us dinner one evening and it was an amazing! It can get expensive, so is definitely an ideal meal to split with multiple families.
Ghost Crab Tour
The kids will easily tell you this was the highlight of our trip. A tour guide from Ghost Crab Quest came right to our house, and as soon as the sun had fully set, that’s when the fun began. Kids had a ball catching the crabs in nets and adding them to their bucket. We didn’t eat or harm the crabs. In fact we learned how gentle they really are. It was such a fun and one-of-a-kind experience. We enjoyed doing this early in our trip so the kid could have fun with the crabs all week. Aren’t they kinda cute?!
Wright Brothers Memorial Museum and National Park
The Wright Brothers Memorial Museum and National Park in Kill Devil Hills, is where Orville and Wilbur made their first flight. Make sure to see if you can go on a group tour and hear their story directly from a park ranger. This experience was a great lesson for my kids in teaching perseverance! {Also – if you have a fourth grader, make sure to grab a free National Parks pass to save on the entry fee!}
Climb to the top of the Currituck Lighthouse
As a Michigander, it’s hard for me to not visit lighthouses when we visit coastal towns. This beauty, located in Corolla, was definitely worth checking out! If you have brave souls in your group, a climb to the top is a must. Just 220 steps take you up to see the most breathtaking views of the area. $10/person. Learn more here.
Explore the historic grounds of Whalehead
Set on 39 pristine acres along the Currituck Sound in Historic Corolla Park, Whalehead is a beautifully restored 1920s-era Art Nouveau-style mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The grounds are free to roam and so beautiful. Tours are available as well for a small cost. {Ghost tours too!} Learn more here.
Check out the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
This was a great place to visit on a rainy day. We learned about the history of the island, which was originally sought after for ducks. After, we got to ask one of the docents all kinds of questions about the shells and nature we had seen and the kids loved it. It was interesting and free! They have some really cool programming too. Learn more.
Visit Duck Donuts
Even though Duck Donuts has gained popularity throughout the nation the past several years, the original spot is in Duck, North Carolina, in the OBX. Order online to save time waiting in line because it gets crowded. They sure are delicious too!
Go Shell Hunting
As with any coastal area, one of the best things to do is to walk the beach looking for shells. I had never seen so many black shells! They stole my heart. The kids found tons of neat things along the way too like sand fleas {cooler than they sound}, horseshoe crabs and spotted crabs. The sand was really nice along the entire coast, making it an ideal spot to walk the beach.
Have you been to the Outer Banks? What are your favorite things to do?
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