In this post, I am rating some of the most popular things to do in Nags Head, North Carolina.
A few weeks ago, we celebrated my thirty-second birthday with a trip to the Outer Banks. And while there, we visited several of the most popular attractions in Nags Head and surrounding areas, including the Wright Brothers Memorial and Jockey's Ridge State Park.
When you're limited on vacay time, it's hard to know which things to do are the best. Nags Head is no exception. So continue reading – and by the end of this post, you'll know which things are on my Nags Head "must do!" list and which I've you can probably skip with minimum FOMO.
related post: I Celebrated My 32nd Birthday With A Weekend Beach Getaway – And It Restored My Mental Health
My Ratings of Popular Things To Do in Nags Head
Bodie Island Light Station: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Things To Do
Review
Clearly, the main attraction at Bodie Island is the lighthouse climb. But as someone who hates heights, I was not disappointed to learn we had to buy tickets ahead of time. (Whew.) I'm more of a "ground activity" kind of guy, so for me, the highlight of our trip to Bodie Island was the boardwalk trail. And while there wasn't much more to do at the Bodie Island besides that, I enjoyed the hour or so we spent strolling around the marshy grounds and would visit again.
related reading: National Park Service – Bodie Island Light Station & Bodie Island Lighthouse Tickets
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site: ⭐️⭐️
Things To Do
Review
I've always been fascinated by the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island, so when I remembered that we'd be just minutes from the site of the disappearance, I knew I just had to go. However... the outing didn't really live up to expectations.
After walking along a few forest trails, and eventually stumbling upon Etheridge Point Beach, we decided that we had seen enough of Roanoke Island and made our way back to Nags Head. There just wasn't enough to look at or do here – although I'm not entirely sure what we were expecting. The colony is famous because they were lost, after all. A kind-of-major detail in the story both Josh and I overlooked when setting our expectations for Roanoke Island. ("I wonder if we'll find ruins!" we both wondered as we drove to the park.)
Nonetheless, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is a good dog-friendly activity and I might go again if and only if the following conditions were met: a) someone asked me to, and b) I was in the mood for a hike. But if either of those things were untrue, I'd probably sit out a subsequent visit.
related reading: The Lost Colony — An Outer Banks Mystery & THINGS TO DO – FORT RALEIGH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Wright Brothers Memorial: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Things To Do
Review
There was actually a lot more to the Wright Brothers Memorial than I thought there was going to be: Before we arrived, I assumed the monument on Kill Devil Hill would be the only thing to see and do here, but fortunately, I was wrong!
I do think, though, the $10 entry fee per person was a bit steep because there's only like forty-five minutes of things to do here. For that reason, I cannot envision myself making the trip to the Wright Bros Memorial every time I'm in town. However, it's still a fun piece of history – especially for travel enthusiasts – so it's worth the $10.
At least once.
related reading: Wright Brothers National Memorial & THINGS TO DO – wright brothers national memorial
Jockey's Ridge State Park: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Things To Do
Review
Our trip to Jockey's Ridge was quite easily my favorite thing we did in Nags Head – in fact, we enjoyed our first visit so much we took a second one the very next day.
I think the reason I enjoyed Jockey's Ridge so much was because it was so unique. The massive, rolling sand dunes are the tallest on the Atlantic Coast, and we kept commenting on how the park felt like something straight out of the Sahara. It hardly felt like we were less than 250 miles from Raleigh.
Jockey's Ridge is a must see and do if you're in the Outer Banks. So definitely carve out some time (or an entire day!) for a trip to the dunes!!
related reading: Jockey's Ridge State Park