Natural wonders and outdoorsy opportunities are some of the best things about the Outer Banks, Nags Head, NC, included! The things to do in Nags Head, NC, offer so many ways to get outside and experience nature, from hikes through maritime forest to scrambling over sand dunes to boat tours on the sound.
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Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 16.5, Nags Head
The place to be in Nags Head during the summer season, Jennette’s Pier offers anglers a wide variety of fish to target while sightseers can watch brown pelicans overhead and bottlenose dolphins swimming in the sea. The pier is surrounded by wide, clean public beaches, free parking and a bathhouse, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from near and far. Owned and operated by the N.C. Aquariums, this state-of-the-art facility includes large aquariums in its pier house alongside educational exhibits, restrooms and a remodeled Pier Shop. There, visitors can find Jennette’s Pier t-shirts, hats, visors and plushies. Anglers can also find everything they need for a day of fishing, including different types of rod and reel combos, bait and tackle. Ice-cold drinks, snacks and souvenir items are also available in the gift shop.
The Pier property serves as a frequent venue for community events, and the upstairs Oceanview Hall is available to book for wedding receptions.
Education is a strong suit of Jennette’s Pier. The pier has emerged as a must-see place for schools to visit on the coast. In the past decade, they’ve averaged around 8,000 to 10,000 North Carolina students a year. They host school groups on field trips, offer week-long summer camps and teach Family Fishing – a rundown on the angling essentials – for $20. Check out the Surfside Classroom, or sign up for Family Fishing offered weekdays all summer at 9 a.m. Pier staff also keep busy with two important conservation organizations – the OBX Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the Responsible Pier Initiative, which promises to help protect sea turtles.
The pier has a blanket license for all anglers, so if you don’t have a fishing license, you’re covered. A daily fishing pass costs $14 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and younger. A three-day pass costs $36, and a seven-day pass is $80 (children pay half on passes). Walk-on passes cost $2 for adults and $1 for children. Rods can be rented by the day for $12 (photo ID required). Ask about prices for annual passes, family passes and pin rig passes.
For more information about their events and pier programs, call or see their social media pages. Jennette’s is open year-round except on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. In season, from May through October, their hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Off-season hours vary, so call ahead.
The place to be in Nags Head during the summer season, Jennette’s Pier offers anglers a wide variety of fish to target while sightseers can watch brown pelicans overhead and bottlenose dolphins swimming in the sea. The pier is surrounded by wide, clean public beaches, free parking and a bathhouse, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from near and far. Owned and operated by the N.C....read more
The place to be in Nags Head during the summer season, Jennette’s Pier offers anglers...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 16.5, Nags Head
The place to be in Nags Head during the summer season, Jennette’s Pier offers anglers a wide variety of fish to target while sightseers can watch brown pelicans overhead and bottlenose dolphins swimming in the sea. The pier is surrounded by wide, clean public beaches, free parking and a bathhouse, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from near and far. Owned and operated by the N.C. Aquariums, this state-of-the-art facility includes large aquariums in its pier house alongside educational exhibits, restrooms and a remodeled Pier Shop. There, visitors can find Jennette’s Pier t-shirts, hats, visors and plushies. Anglers can also find everything they need for a day of fishing, including different types of rod and reel combos, bait and tackle. Ice-cold drinks, snacks and souvenir items are also available in the gift shop.
The Pier property serves as a frequent venue for community events, and the upstairs Oceanview Hall is available to book for wedding receptions.
Education is a strong suit of Jennette’s Pier. The pier has emerged as a must-see place for schools to visit on the coast. In the past decade, they’ve averaged around 8,000 to 10,000 North Carolina students a year. They host school groups on field trips, offer week-long summer camps and teach Family Fishing – a rundown on the angling essentials – for $20. Check out the Surfside Classroom, or sign up for Family Fishing offered weekdays all summer at 9 a.m. Pier staff also keep busy with two important conservation organizations – the OBX Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the Responsible Pier Initiative, which promises to help protect sea turtles.
The pier has a blanket license for all anglers, so if you don’t have a fishing license, you’re covered. A daily fishing pass costs $14 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and younger. A three-day pass costs $36, and a seven-day pass is $80 (children pay half on passes). Walk-on passes cost $2 for adults and $1 for children. Rods can be rented by the day for $12 (photo ID required). Ask about prices for annual passes, family passes and pin rig passes.
For more information about their events and pier programs, call or see their social media pages. Jennette’s is open year-round except on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. In season, from May through October, their hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Off-season hours vary, so call ahead.
The place to be in Nags Head during the summer season, Jennette’s Pier offers anglers a wide variety of fish to target while sightseers can watch brown pelicans overhead and bottlenose dolphins swimming in the sea. The pier is surrounded by wide, clean public beaches, free parking and a bathhouse, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from near and far. Owned and operated by the N.C....read more
The place to be in Nags Head during the summer season, Jennette’s Pier offers anglers...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
8770 Oregon Inlet Road, off N.C. Highway 12, Nags Head
Over the last 70 years, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center has earned legendary status for its celebrated charter fishing fleet and proximity to the best fishing grounds. It earned this reputation as a no-frills facility, but big changes in 2024 have brought modernizations and upgrades to match its iconic status. A beautiful new, climate-resistant, two-story building elevated 11 feet above ground is now home to a retail area and tackle shop run by Oceans East Bait & Tackle, a new restaurant called Sea Chef Kitchen and Oregon Inlet Fishing Center's dedicated charter reservation area and event room.
First and foremost, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center is all about making memories on the water. A fleet of 48 boats offers a variety of fishing excursions at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center year-round (weather permitting). Nearshore, inshore vessels offer half-day or full-day trips, while the headboat, Miss Oregon Inlet II, offers a choice of morning or afternoon inlet/sound fishing. Offshore vessels travel to the Gulf Stream, where anglers enjoy a full day on the water going for billfish, tuna, mahi mahi and more, depending on the season. Make-up charters are available if you don't have a full party. Anglers aboard charters do not need to purchase fishing licenses, and all tackle and bait are provided. Even if you're not fishing or going out on the water, watching the boats come in with their catches is fine entertainment. Come to the docks between 3 and 5 p.m. and you'll see the day's catches being unloaded. Be sure to check out the world-record blue marlin replica mount (caught in 1974) displayed in front of the new building and take a photo of your group in front of the record-setting marlin!
Come inside the tackle shop and retail store for a wide selection of bait, tackle, fishing and boating gear, hardware, sunglasses, apparel and footwear, souvenirs and Oregon Inlet Fishing Center apparel. Sea Chef Kitchen provides counter service with indoor and outdoor seating, take-out and grab-and-go meals for charters.
Boaters can launch boats at the nearby NPS boat ramp, which has five launching lanes, courtesy docks and about 75 parking spaces for vehicles with trailers. Oregon Inlet Fishing Center sells fuel for boats (gas and diesel). You'll find Oregon Inlet Fishing Center 8 miles south of Whalebone Junction in Nags Head.
Over the last 70 years, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center has earned legendary status for its celebrated charter fishing fleet and proximity to the best fishing grounds. It earned this reputation as a no-frills facility, but big changes in 2024 have brought modernizations and upgrades to match its iconic status. A beautiful new, climate-resistant, two-story building elevated 11 feet above ground is now home to a...read more
Over the last 70 years, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center has earned legendary status for its...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
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
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
The 5-acre Dowdy Park is a popular place for relaxation, play and entertainment. The park includes an amphitheater, green space, restrooms, a fitness trail, basketball and pickleball courts, a bocce area and an unusual playscape/playground for kids, and it's the site of local events, festivals and live music. You'll find it on the Bypass in Nags Head, next to Nags Head Elementary School on the...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
Nags Head is home to the tallest natural sand dune on the East Coast. Jockey’s Ridge, currently a series of five dunes, is a natural wonder that’s continually changing in shape and height. With the highest dune varying from 62 to 80 feet tall, this system of sand is a haven for adventure. Colorful kites waver over its majesty regularly, and hang gliders climb to its summit to swoop...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
Kitty Hawk Kites has been teaching the world to fly since 1974. With 10 retail locations from Corolla to Ocracoke, Kitty Hawk Kites boasts an impressive selection of kites, flags and spinners, toys, apparel, gifts and games on the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk Kites specializes in kites, from the single-lines for kids to high-tech stunt varieties. The stores also sell fun outdoor goodies such as...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Kill Devil Hills, NC
A beautiful place for hiking, trail running and birding, Nags Head Woods Preserve is one of the best remaining examples of a mid-Atlantic maritime forest. The 8 miles of hiking trails in the 1,200-acre preserve are open and free to the public every day from dawn until dusk. There are lushly wooded dunes, peaceful ponds, brackish marsh and an upland maritime forest complete with live oaks...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
Outer Banks Adventures offers a variety of guided outdoor adventures on the Outer Banks, including airboat rides, SUP tours and wildlife and bear tours in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The only airboat adventure tour on the islands, their one-hour airboat eco-tours cover 27 miles of the sound near Nags Head and Roanoke Island in their high-speed, open-air boat. Tours leave from Nags Head/Manteo Causeway...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
Join a captain and crew for a two-hour saltwater safari on the newest vessel in the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center fleet. The Safari is a 50-foot catamaran-style vessel with an open-air covered deck with cushioned seating, designed to give you a close-up and personal view of wildlife and sights not seen from the highway. The Safari will glide through the waters of Oregon Inlet and...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Nags Head, NC
Designated in 1991 as North Carolina’s first Historic Shipwreck Preserve, the USS Huron lies 250 yards from the beach. During the summer, buoys may mark her bow and stern. A myriad of sea life and remaining portions of the wreck, including boilers, propeller, rudder and cannonball storage racks, make this an interesting destination for divers and snorkelers. Erosion has taken its toll and marine growth covers the...read more
