The Outer Banks of North Carolina is fast becoming the preferred choice for families looking for value-added vacations closer to home with all the fun in the sun this summer. Here is some of what the world is saying about our barrier islands: Coquina Beach in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, near Nags Head, NC is listed by Fodor’s as one of the 7 Best Family Beaches in the East, and Forbes Traveler has named Nags Head, NC as one of America’s Favorite Beach Towns. The town of Kill Devil Hills, NC is ranked by Surfer magazine as #6 of its Ten Best Surf Towns in America. The Travel Channel lists Duck, NC as one of its Best Beaches. And national beach expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman a.k.a. "Dr. Beach" has ranked Cape Hatteras as one of his 2009 Ten Best Beaches in America. With accolades like these this summer, coupled with the value-added travel incentives and specials put forth by our local businesses to grab your attention, the Outer Banks is the smart choice for your summer getaway.
Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands extending southward more than 175 miles (280 km) along the coast of North Carolina, U.S., from Back Bay, Virginia, to Cape Lookout, North Carolina. From north to south they comprise Currituck Banks; Bodie, Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Portsmouth islands; and North Core, South Core, and Shackleford banks. The Outer Banks form a bowlike arc that curves southeastward to Cape Hatteras—which is about 30 miles (50 km) from the mainland—and then southwestward to Cape Lookout. The islands, largely composed of sand, are generally low-lying, with some dunes rising to more than 100 feet (30 metres) in height; they are rarely more than 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. Bridges link Bodie Island to the mainland and to Hatteras Island, and ferries travel between Hatteras and Ocracoke islands and from the mainland to Ocracoke and Cape Lookout. The Intracoastal Waterway threads its way between the Outer Banks and the mainland.
Bodie Island is a long, narrow barrier peninsula that forms the northernernmost portion of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The land that is most commonly referred to as Bodie Island was at one time a true island, however the inlet separating it from the Currituck Banks peninsula in the north closed. As a result, the Currituck Banks and Bodie Island are now one contiguous peninsula, joined together at the Nags Head area, where the inlet once flowed. Today, either name can be used to refer to peninsula as a whole, but both portions colloquially retain their historical names. From the southern tip at Oregon Inlet, the peninsula stretches largely northwest out of North Carolina and into Virginia Beach, Virginia to join the mainland near the north shore of Back Bay. The entire peninsula is approximately 72 miles in length, following the shoreline.
Hatteras Island is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, it runs parallel to the coast, forming a bend at Cape Hatteras. It is part of North Carolina's Outer Banks and includes the towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras. It contains the largest part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It is almost entirely in Dare County, North Carolina, but there is a very small sliver of about 45 acres (180,000 m2) which extends southwest into Hyde County. The island is one of the longest in the contiguous United States, measuring 42 miles (68 km) along a straight line from end to end, or roughly 50 miles (80 km) along the curve of the land. Hatteras Island is known for world-class sport fishing, surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding, and is known as "The blue marlin capital of the world". Accommodations range from hotels and condos to luxurious oceanfront cottages. Hatteras Island is often used for destination weddings, family reunions, and special events.
Located at the southernmost tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and boasts almost 16 miles of pristine, undeveloped beaches. Accessible only by Ferry, private boat or plane, Ocracoke is an oasis for the family, casual tourist, nature lover, fisherman, or recreational boater. A historic fishing village turned tourist attraction, the village of Ocracoke is home to the island's 800 year round residents and offers all the conveniences and services of a modern vacation destination with the laid back attitude of a place lost in time.
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. About eight miles (12 km) long and two miles (3 km) wide, Roanoke Island lies between the mainland and the barrier islands, with Albemarle Sound on its north, Roanoke Sound at the northern end, and Wanchese CDP at the southern end. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is on the island. There is a land area of 17.95 square miles (46.48 km²) and a population of 6,724 as of the 2000 census. Located along U.S. Highway 64, a major highway from mainland North Carolina to the Outer Banks, Roanoke Island combines recreational and water features with historical sites and an outdoor theater to form one of the major tourist attractions of Dare County.
Currituck Banks is an undisturbed barrier island and low-salinity estuarine system. The site lies in the northeastern corner of North Carolina, 10 miles south of the Virginia border and three-quarters of a mile north of the village of Corolla, in Currituck County. Bounded by Currituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, the site encompasses 954 acres. The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service own neighboring tracts.
Throughout recent geologic time, Currituck Banks has been a dynamic barrier landform, moving or "migrating" in response to sea level changes. While the Banks was once a series of islands, it is currently part of a complex barrier spit that extends about 70 miles from Virginia Beach to Oregon Inlet. Behind this barrier spit, extensive marshes have built up from inlet deltas and overwash fans that were submerged by rising sea level.
Currituck Banks is accessible by foot traffic and boat; however, there is no boat ramp or dock within the Reserve boundaries. The northern portion of the Reserve is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles along the beach corridor after N.C. 12 terminates at the beach access ramp. A 1/3-mile boardwalk begins at the parking lot and leads to a view of Currituck Sound. A 1.5-mile primitive trail departs from the boardwalk and heads north through a maritime forest.
Portsmouth Island, North Carolina, is a presently uninhabited barrier island running southwest to northeast along the North Carolina shore. The island stands between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound and is neighbored by Ocracoke Island to the northeast and Core Banks to the southwest. Ocracoke Inlet, a span of water which lies between Portsmouth Island and Ocracoke Island, was a popular shipping lane during colonial times. The town of Portsmouth was established as a lightering port to help reduce the draft of heavier vessels attempting to traverse the shallow waters of the sound.
