2025 Hiking Spots Guide

The pinnacle of fishing on the Outer Banks, however, is and has always been Cape Point. Ask any long-time Hatteras Island fisherman about Cape Point, and they'll gladly tell you about incredible catches, near-misses, and the occasional vehicle getting stuck in the deep, shifting sands.

It's easy to see why vacationers fall in love with Carova. Located almost literally off the Outer Banks map, while other towns along the barrier islands of North Carolina grew and developed over the decades and became popular East Coast tourism destinations, Carova never really changed.

Located in one of the Outer Banks most beautiful wooded areas, the David Paul Pruitt, Jr. Park is a small recreation area just off the Bypass near the entrance of Kitty Hawk Woods. It’s a family-oriented neighborhood playground that has play equipment for both young and older kids inside a fence-enclosed area and picnic tables on the outside near the parking area. Included are slides, jungle gyms and swings, along with a rare find at playgrounds these days - the popular push-jump-on-and-ride-merry-go-round. Nearby is a multiuse path for all family members to enjoy biking, walking or jogging. The shaded path winds in and out of roadside trees for about two miles, ending at Sandy Run Park, which features a beautiful boardwalk loop through the Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Preserve.The playground and path were named to honor Pruitt’s 20 years of service to the Town of Kitty Hawk as council member and mayor pro tem and his service to the country during WWII in the 82nd Airborne and later as Master Sergeant with the U.S. Air Force.David Paul Pruitt, Jr. Park is located next to the Dominion Power building on Woods Road and is open to the public.

Looking at the small town of Manteo, with its Crepe Myrtle lined busy main streets, and charming downtown filled with contemporary restaurants and old antique stores, one wouldn't necessarily think that this Outer Banks village was the veritable birthplace of European Settlement in America.

A Native American Museum featuring artifacts from local indigenous people.

Springer's Point is a gorgeous nature preserve with a legendary past. Populated for centuries, and open to the public, this small parcel of Ocracoke Island is one of the last undeveloped sections of land on the island, and thanks to extensive efforts by the Coastal Land Trust, will forever remain that way.