Kiteboarding is a very popular thing to do in Nags Head. The Roanoke Sound, which is shallow and calm, is perfect for beginners to learn to the sport, and lessons are available. On windy days, you’ll see dozens of colorful kites flying over the sound as kiteboarders zip back and forth over the water. Experienced kiteboarders also enjoy kiteboarding on the ocean waves. In Nags Head, NC, kiteboarding is concentrated around milepost 16 on the sound.
Featured for Your Visit
1409 National Park Drive (off U.S. Highway 64), Waterside Theatre, inside Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Manteo
In July of 1587, 117 English men, women and children came ashore on Roanoke Island with the commission from Queen Elizabeth I to establish a permanent English settlement in the New World. They vanished just three years later. The only clues were “CROATOAN" carved into the surface of an abandoned structure and the letters "CRO" carved into a nearby tree. After nearly 450 years, the mystery of what happened to the colonists remains unsolved. The Lost Colony outdoor drama is their story.
Now in its 87th season, The Lost Colony, Paul Green's Symphonic Outdoor Drama, is performed on the site where these actual events occurred. Each summer, a company of more than 100 actors, technicians, dancers, designers and volunteers bring The Lost Colony to life. The production is enormous. The stage itself is three times larger than most Broadway stages in New York City. You are seated in an open-air theater, located on the Roanoke Sound, with the stars above and live action happening on three sides. See epic battles and Indian dances. Experience the sorrow and heartbreak of tragedy and loss. Witness the pageantry of the queen and her court and celebrate the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America. You'll enjoy music, laughter, romance, dance and stunning special effects.
The Lost Colony is the “grandfather” of all outdoor dramas and is produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA), a nonprofit organization with the mission to celebrate the history of the first English colonies on Roanoke Island and to honor the founders of The Lost Colony through drama, education and literature. Outer Banks locals and visitors have loved it for more than eight decades. Seeing the play is a quintessential Outer Banks activity.
The 2024 season begins May 30 and runs through August 24. Shows are performed Monday through Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $25 to $40, are half-price for children ages 6 to 12 and free for kids 5 and younger every night. Senior, military, AAA, group discounts and VIP packages are available. For the best seats, advance reservations are recommended. For tickets call (252) 473-6000 or purchase online anytime. Backstage Tours are also available nightly at 7:30 p.m. with the purchase of an additional ticket.
In July of 1587, 117 English men, women and children came ashore on Roanoke Island with the commission from Queen Elizabeth I to establish a permanent English settlement in the New World. They vanished just three years later. The only clues were “CROATOAN" carved into the surface of an abandoned structure and the letters "CRO" carved into a nearby tree. After nearly 450 years, the...read more
In July of 1587, 117 English men, women and children came ashore on Roanoke Island...read more
Kill Devil Hills Thing To Do
The Town of Kill Devil Hills' Aviation Park is on Veterans Drive, near Kill Devil Hills Town Hall. The park includes a paved path and fitness trail that is ideal for biking, walking and rollerblading around a small pond, playground equipment, a popular skatepark, a dog park, a roller hockey rink and restrooms.read more
Kitty Hawk Thing To Do
Aycock Brown Welcome Center in Kitty Hawk is an excellent stop for planning your Outer Banks vacation. If you’re arriving from the north by way of U.S. Highway 158, it will be a convenient stop about a mile on the right after you cross Wright Brothers Memorial Bridge onto the island. There is information on everything to see and do on the Outer Banks, with...read more
Nags Head Thing To Do
Get the ultimate vacation souvenir with a colorful hairwrap, some cornrows or a temporary tattoo. Beach Braids is the only Outer Banks shop offering natural henna tattoos in addition to Jagua tattoos, all 100% plant based and brown or blue/black in color. All three Beach Braids locations have a Mendhi artist on staff during peak season. This store also sells custom, handmade hemp jewelry. Appointments or...read more
Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills Thing To Do
A favorite local activity is 4WD cruising the beach when the season allows.
In Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, you can drive on the beach from October 1 through April 30 as long as you have a permit from each town. Note: The two towns used to have reciprocal permits, but that is no longer the case.
In Kill Devil Hills, permits cost $25 for...read more
Duck Thing To Do
Being able to rent beach chairs and tents is a wonderful service, but having someone lug all that stuff to the beach and set it up for you then take it all down at the end of the day ... well, that's practically miraculous. Beach Masters rents super-sturdy tents (with a bar top!), beach chairs, coolers (with ice!), stereos and blenders, and they do all...read more
The Outer Banks is one of the few coastal places where you can actually drive on the beach. The beaches north of Corolla (aka Carova, home of the wild horses) and the beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Hatteras and Ocracoke islands) are open to beach driving year-round, and the beaches of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills are open in the off-season (permits are...read more
Kitty Hawk is an excellent town for biking. Along Woods Road and Kitty Hawk Road you’ll find the Pruitt Multi-Use Trail, a paved path that is separate from the roadway and is ideal for biking, walking or in-line skating. To extend your ride into neighboring Kill Devil Hills, turn off of Kitty Hawk Road onto Moore Shore Road to connect to Bay Drive, a quiet...read more
Kill Devil Hills Thing To Do
Bicyclists and skaters are a common site trekking along the town’s multiuse path, which runs along the Beach Road from Eighth Street (Kill Devil Hills/Nags Head line) to MP 21 (Old Oregon Inlet Road in South Nags Head). The path is for walking, jogging, bicycling and skating. The town designates this path as a tow-away, no parking zone for non-motorized activity only. Visitors can bring...read more
The Outer Banks is often referred to as a birder’s paradise. Maritime forest areas, such as Nags Head Woods, Kitty Hawk Woods and Buxton Woods, have great birding options, as do Jockey’s Ridge State Park and Run Hill State Park. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge are excellent spots for birding.
Wings Over Water is an annual fall festival that...read more
Nags Head Thing To Do
Pronounced “body,” this horizontally striped lighthouse is on the soundside at the southern end of Bodie Island in Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It re-opened from a major renovation project in April 2013, and visitors can climb to the top of the 156-foot-tall lighthouse from late April through Columbus Day in October. During the lighthouse climbing season, reservations to climb the lighthouse must be made at...read more
Nags Head Thing To Do
Liza Yowell offers massage therapy, natural skincare, cupping and energy work (Reiki and craniosacral therapy). She offers a variety of packages in skincare and massage and is a professional with years of experience working on the Outer Banks.read more
Photographers Brooke Mayo and Candace Owens are a dynamic duo in Outer Banks photography. Known for their ability to make photoshoots fun, they lend their creative touches to wedding photography, family portraits and photography of all styles. read more