48 Best Sights in The North Carolina Coast, North Carolina

Lose yourself along magnolia-lined natural trails that wind through rose beds and dozens of varieties of shade-loving camellias on this 7-acre site, just across the water from Airlie Gardens. Relax in the Japanese teahouse, spend a moment of reflection by the water garden, or admire the native carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap.

This small but beautiful oceanfront aquarium features a 235,000-gallon saltwater tank that's home to sharks, stingrays, and a Goliath grouper and green moray eel. There's a touch tank with rays, a room of glowing jellyfish, an albino alligator, and turtle ponds. Kids love the life-size replica of a megalodon shark and enjoy the daily feeding times and animal encounters. 

A 306,000-gallon habitat for sharks, fish, and a sea turtle—built around a replica of a German submarine (sunk nearby in 1942)—is the largest aquarium tank in the state. There's also a tank with a replica debris field of Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, and a river otter exhibit. But the biggest standout of this location among the three major North Carolina aquariums is a 0.6-mile nature trail that winds through a wooded peninsula until its terminus on Bogue Sound, with nearly 360-degree views of the marsh and water.

Occupying 68,000 square feet of space overlooking Croatan Sound, this modern aquarium includes exhibits on sea turtles, shipwreck marine life, and wild wetlands. The Graveyard of the Atlantic—a 285,000-gallon ocean tank containing sharks and the re-created remains of the USS Monitor, which sunk off Hatteras Island in 1862—remains the centerpiece exhibit. The aquarium hosts a slew of activities and field trips, from feeding fish to learning about medicinal aquatic plants and participating in a workshop on injured sea turtles. It also manages the 1,000-foot-long Jennette's Pier in Nags Head.

An exhibit about the infamous pirate Blackbeard includes artifacts recovered from the discovery of his flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, near Beaufort Inlet. Other exhibits feature coastal culture and the state's rich marine science history. You'll see model ships of all sizes, fossils, duck decoys, and a full-scale shark lunging out from the wall. The associated Watercraft Center, across the street, has lectures and classes on boatbuilding, and you can see various projects under construction.

Built in 1823, Ocracoke's 77-foot tower is the second-oldest operating lighthouse in the United States. (Sandy Hook, New Jersey, has the oldest.) It was first fueled by whale oil, then kerosene, and finally electricity. The lighthouse is built entirely of brick, 5 feet thick at the base and 2 feet thick at the top, with a white finish once achieved with a blend of unslaked lime, glue, rice, salt, and powdered fish. Although it's not open to the public for climbing, the grounds are accessible year-round.

From a small observation platform, 6 miles southwest of the north Hatteras–Ocracoke ferry landing, you can look out at the descendants of the Banker ponies that roamed wild before the island came under the jurisdiction of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The National Park Service manages the population of 25–30 animals; the wild herd once numbered nearly 500. All the animals you see today were born in captivity and are fed and kept on a 180-acre range. Legends abound about the arrival of the island's Banker ponies. Some believe they made their way to the island after the abandonment of Roanoke's Lost Colony. Others believe they were left by early Spanish explorers or swam to shore following the sinking of the Black Squall, a ship carrying circus performers.

This small museum and gift shop is located in a restored American Foursquare house built more than 100 years ago, containing photographs and artifacts illustrating the island's lifestyle and history. On display in the backyard is a round-stern fishing boat from 1934.

Heading south from Nags Head, Pea Island's miles of undeveloped coastline kick off one of the East Coast's most scenic drives. The refuge consists of 5,834 acres of marsh on the Atlantic Flyway, plus 25,700 acres of refuge waters. To the delight of birders, more than 370 species have been sighted from its observation platforms and spotting scopes and by visitors who venture into the refuge. Pea Island is home to threatened peregrine falcons, piping plovers, and tundra swans, which winter here, and to 25 species of mammals, 24 species of reptiles, and 5 species of amphibians. A visitor center has maps of trails that lead through the salt marsh and around ponds. On the west side of the highway are 13 miles of pristine beach.

Remember to bring bug spray if you go for a hike, especially in spring. Also, there's no tree coverage on trails, so plan peak-summer walks early and late in the day.

Take a tour of what was once a major peanut and sweet potato farm in North Carolina, with an 1850 Greek revival manor house and its outbuildings. Watch a blacksmith at work, admire the farm animals, see weaving and basket-making demonstrations, and learn about the difficult lives of the people who were enslaved here. On Wednesday from 8 to 1, mid-April through late September, local farmers, growers, and artisans sell their produce, plants, and crafts. The site adjoins the hiking trails of the 67-acre Abbey Nature Preserve.

Spanning the length of Beaufort's waterfront, just across Taylor's Creek, this 2,315-acre reserve consists of islands and marshes that serve as a seasonal home to more than 200 bird species and the permanent home to a small herd of wild horses. There's a short nature trail on Carrot Island, or walk the beach on Sand Dollar Island. Access is via boat or kayak.

This multifunctional attraction sits on the waterfront in Manteo. Costumed interpreters conduct tours of the 69-foot ship Elizabeth II, a representation of a 16th-century vessel, but you can also help them set the sails, plot a course, and swab the decks. The 25-acre park is home to the interactive Adventure Museum, representing 400 years of local history. There's also a re-created 16th-century settlement site, a Native American exhibit, a fossil pit, arts-and-crafts exhibitions, boardwalk trails along the marsh, and seasonal plays and concerts at the impressive outdoor stage fronting Shallowbag Bay.

Wild, wooded, and undeveloped, this 7½-mile-long barrier island, the southernmost part of Cape Lookout National Seashore, is made even more magical by myriad seashells along the shore and about 100 free-roaming horses. Folklore offers two reasons for the Banker ponies' presence. One tale claims they swam ashore from a long-ago Spanish shipwreck, but some locals say early settlers first put these horses to pasture on the island. The island hosted various settlements in the 1800s, but storms drove residents inland. Today, gravestones here and there are the only remaining evidence of the people who lived here. Island access is by kayak, personal watercraft, or ferry only, from Beaufort and Harkers Island, and although primitive camping is allowed (at no fee), there are no amenities aside from composting toilets.

This former plantation—one of the country's largest—once claimed 100,000 acres along Lake Phelps, producing rice, corn, oats, peas, beans, and flax. Its sophisticated sawmills handled thousands of feet of lumber from 1785 to 1865. The 800 enslaved people who were forced to live and work here throughout the plantation's 80 years planted and harvested crops and worked as carpenters, brickmasons, cobblers, and weavers. The site, which originally consisted of more than 50 buildings, has nine original 19th-century buildings, and four others have been reconstructed, including slave quarters. The huge grand trees around the grounds plus its out-of-the-way location make it a quiet place for reflection.

A raised boardwalk trail connects Somerset Place to Pettigrew State Park, which has a campground, a boat ramp, and a fishing dock. At 16,600 acres, Lake Phelps is the state's second-largest lake. Thirty submerged dugout canoes were discovered in the 1980s, the oldest dating back 4,400 years. Two canoes are displayed at the visitor center.

This quarter-mile trail through a 124-acre preserve leads to Springer's Point, a sound-side beach where Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard) gathered with fellow pirates and ultimately met his demise in a battle with British naval lieutenant Robert Maynard. The enchanting trail traverses maritime forest and coastal marsh.

There is no parking at the trailhead—walk or bike from the village.

Wilmington was once a major railroad hub on the East Coast, and that legacy lives on at this museum that includes a caboose, engine, and freight car (complete with hobos), a children's play area, and a huge model-train display that's controlled by patrons via foot pedals. The museum holds the record for the longest model train ever assembled (925 feet, 6 inches), a feat that's commemorated among the exhibits.

Clean, wide beaches here provide the setting for all sorts of water sports. Surfers dominate the sunrise waves at Crystal Pier. Kayakers, parasailers, and paddleboarders all share the waters here while shoreline runners and walkers hit the sand, which is also perfect for sandcastle building and people-watching. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (Memorial Day to Labor Day); parking (fee); toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming.

White sand beaches, blue-green waters, and a tall lighthouse mark this quiet beach at the southern tip of Cape Lookout National Seashore. A boat is the only way to get here. Passenger ferries leave from Harkers Island and Beaufort, while passenger and vehicle ferries leave from Davis and Atlantic. Land on the sound side, then walk across a path to the beach, where you'll be greeted by a long beach strand full of seashells, including large whelk shells. In season, you can also climb the lighthouse tower or tour a museum in the keeper's quarters. Amenities: toilets. Best for: solitude; sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking.