The miles of wild terrain along the Outer Banks serves as an ideal locale for adventurous hikers, and vacationers who adore a good nature walk will find plenty of off-the-beaten paths to discover, from the national refuges and reserves to the small but well-manicured trails. On the Outer Banks, hikers can simply choose their own adventure, and enjoy miles of gorgeous sunsets and undisturbed coastal environments along the way. As one of the most unpopulated coastal destinations along the East Coast, the Outer Banks offers miles of grounds to explore.

N.C. Coastal Reserve’s Currituck Banks National Estuarine Reserve
N.C. Highway 12, north of Corolla Village • 252.261-8891
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Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary
N.C. Hwy. 12, north of Duck • 252.453.0603
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Bodie Island Lighthouse Grounds
N.C. Highway 12, south of Nags Head • 252.441.5711
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Jockey’s Ridge State Park
MP 12, Bypass at Carolista Drive, Nags Head • 252.441.713
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Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve
The Woods Road, Kitty Hawk • 252.261.889
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Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve
MP 9.5 • W. Ocean Acres Drive, off the Bypass, Kill Devil Hills • 252.441.2525
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Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
252.473.1131; fws.gov/alligatorriver
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Thomas Hariot Nature Trail/Freedom Trail
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site • 252.473.5772
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Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
N.C. Highway 12, northern Hatteras Island • 252.987.2394
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Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve
Old Doctor’s Road, Flowers Ridge Road or Water Association Road (all off N.C. Highway 12), Buxton • 252.261.8891
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