Dare: Nature, History and Routes of the Outer Banks

Dare presents the Outer Banks as a destination with an unusually wide range of opportunities for exploration: protected areas preserve wildlife habitats, historic sites tell the story of early settlements, and the landscape opens up routes to dunes, water and gardens. If you are looking for a vacation rental or vacation home in Dare, you can therefore base your choice on the mix of nature, history and activities you want.

Nature experiences among trails, dunes and water

At Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, habitats for migratory birds and loggerhead sea turtles take center stage. The North Pond Wildlife Trail is 0.6 miles long, follows a one-way route and offers opportunities to observe waterfowl, turtles and other wildlife. A reservation is required to explore the marshes, islands and creeks of Pamlico Sound. Access through the refuge is provided by North Carolina Highway 12.

Nags Head Woods Preserve also showcases the region’s diverse landscapes. It has eight trails, including one that is fully accessible. Another trail passes through open woodland, crosses two wooden bridges, runs past freshwater ponds and leads to a densely wooded dune ridge. At Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, you can observe wildlife on the mainland in Dare County. The refuge also offers more than 15 miles of color-coded paddling routes for canoes and kayaks, as well as the Sandy Ridge Wildlife Trail and the Creef Cut Wildlife Trail. Both trails are half a mile long, follow a one-way route and are accessible.

Jockey's Ridge State Park is home to the tallest system of living sand dunes on the Atlantic coast. Access to Roanoke Sound allows for paddling, swimming, kiteboarding and windsurfing. A concessionaire in the park also offers hang-gliding and kite-flying lessons as well as sandboard rentals. Those who prefer a more leisurely pace will find The Elizabethan Gardens, a ten-acre garden designed as an Elizabethan pleasure garden, with just over a mile of walking paths.

History and culture as destinations in their own right

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves parts of the first English settlements in the New World from 1584 to 1590. The 1.25-mile Freedom Trail is a one-way trail and ends at Freedmen's Point. The site also tells the story of the Civil War on Roanoke Island and the Freedman's Colony that emerged from it. Wright Brothers National Memorial commemorates the first successful flight by brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright.

At the 27-acre Roanoke Island Festival Park, you can learn how the first English settlers lived in 1585. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum focuses on the maritime history and culture of the North Carolina Outer Banks. The museum offers programs year-round, a weekly lecture series in summer, and several maritime arts and crafts days. At the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, daily free programs are included with regular admission. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built in 1870. Climbing Bodie Island Lighthouse is possible during the summer months; tickets must be purchased online, and certain safety restrictions apply.

Choose accommodation based on your preferred pace of travel

When looking for accommodation in Dare, your personal focus is therefore more important than a general overview. Nature observation and short routes through protected areas favor planning a trip around the refuges you select. Those particularly interested in settlement history, aviation history and maritime culture can make the historic sites and museums the common thread of their trip. Water activities, dunes and paddling routes, in turn, create a more active day of vacation. The Outer Banks Scenic Byway follows Highway 12 through Cape Hatteras National Seashore and continues by ferry to Carteret County. For further orientation within the destination, you can also explore Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Manteo, Duck, Kinnakeet, Wanchese, Hatteras, Southern Shores and Rodanthe.

For the higher-level travel overview: North Carolina.