2025 Nags Head Activities Guide

You’ll find Causeway Waters Sports on the beautiful Roanoke Sound on the Causeway between Nags Head and Manteo, just past Whalebone Junction. This family outdoor activity center offers parasailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, wave runners and dolphin tours.Causeway promises customers top of the line equipment with all rentals and a “safe and hassle-free time.“ It also boasts the “most knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining crew on the Outer Banks.”Located on the calm side of the sound, Causeway offers peaceful and relaxing kayaking on your own or with one of their guided tours through the Bodie Island Wildlife preserve. If you’re not into paddling, you may prefer to set sail on a two-hour dolphin cruise, passing nesting pelicans and osprey on the way. Or you can get a birds-eye view yourself, parasailing to heights up to 1,000 feet.For more excitement, Causeway’s 4-stroke Yamaha Wave Runners will speed up the pace as well as cool you off on a hot summer day. Whatever your skill level, Causeway’s staff is available to make sure your ride is safe and fun.Last, but not least, Causeway offers equipment and lessons in the world’s fastest growing water sport - paddleboarding. The lessons are free, and this sport, along with all others Causeway offers, provides a great day of fun and memories.

Whenever you need a break from the beach, Cloud Nine is a great place for some creative renewal. This very cool shop was established here in 1988, and its since been a favorite for locals and visitors looking for unique creations from Outer Banks and regional artisans -- pottery, paintings, jewelry -- but especially to indulge one’s own creative yearnings by making earrings or a necklace, or who knows? There’s a vast selection -- the largest on the beach -- of the prettiest beads of all sizes and colors, including authentic trade and vintage beads, gorgeous seaglass and other jewelry-making supplies to choose from to fashion say, an ankle bracelet or headband.And if you don't know how to start, owner Ginnie Flowers and her staff offer weekly classes and workshops, specializing in seaglass wire wrapping and beading. Along with sharing her talents and supporting over 50 local artists and designers, Ginnie gives back to the community in a number of other ways. She contributes to Dare County’s Arts Council, Animal Rescue, Surfrider Foundation and, to encourage children's literacy, she started a "Read for Beads" program.You'll not want to miss Ginnie's treasure of a shop, tucked away near a corner in Pirate's Quay Shopping Center, just south of the YMCA. What better way to spend the day but by making something beautiful to wear or give as a gift? Cloud Nine offers the best kind of Outer Banks souvenir: one crafted with your own hands.

Coastal Creamery OBX sells a wide variety of frozen treats: hard scooped ice cream, soft serve frozen yogurts, sorbet, and custard, and our dairy free selection of Italian Ices. They serve in cones or cups with all of the toppings available and offer old fashioned milkshakes, banana splits, and sundaes. Coastal Creamery also takes orders for ice cream cakes and sells ice cream in quarts to take home. Their bumper boats are a huge attraction for children of all ages. Coastal Creamery is a family destination. They are located on the 16 milepost on the Soundside in Nags Head.

Night climbing starts in June of 2019! FFAP is an Aerial Adventure Park overlooking the beautiful Albemarle Sound. Platforms range from 12 feet to 50 feet high. Climbers take the action into their own hands by choosing to go on the easiest of the courses (Tropical Storm) or going all the way up to the most difficult (Category 5). The platforms are installed on utility poles.  From an aerial view the course looks like outer bands branching out from the central tower, which is the Eye of the Hurricane. There are 6 courses with 7 obstacles on each course. The obstacles are designed around a beach theme using ropes, cables, wood, barrels, stir-ups, and even a hammock. The higher up the central spiral staircase you go, the more difficult the obstacles are. At the end of each course there is a short zip back to the central tower. Have no fear, climbers will be in a harness and on belay for the duration of the climb. Typically climbers will complete 3-4 courses (21-28 obstacles) during the 2 hour climb. Guides take care of the climbers and make sure everyone stays safe!  So bring the whole family and experience and adventure like never before!

Start Your Engines! Full Throttle offers gas powered go karts on two exciting tracks for the entire family. Drivers must be at least 51 inches tall to drive. Double seat karts are available for adult drivers with passengers at least 2 years old and no more than 51 inches tall. Rookie racers from 41 to 51 inches may choose to drive our Junior karts. Cool down with a shaved ice or soft serve ice cream from the Pit Stop, located between the tracks. Our Figure Eight Track can accommodate up to 20. Perfect for large crowds on a hot summer night!

WHEN IT'S HOT, OUR WATER MISTERS WILL COOL YOU OFF SO YOU WILL ENJOY PLAYING! This is a fun, inexpensive miniature golf course located right across the street from a large beach access—so you can spend all day at the beach, rinse off and go play putt-putt! It has two courses, each with 18 holes. The theme is outer space, with a lava-formed volcano in the center spouting a waterfall. Mixed in nicely with flowers and small trees, you'll encounter spacemen, aliens, a big other-worldly elephant, and various spacecraft throughout the course, which is trimmed with bright colors. So clearly it’s geared for light summertime entertainment, with sea breezes to keep things cool. Cash only.

Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head offers fishing and fun for the entire family! Go fishing, take a family fishing class or simply walk out to the end of this 1,000-foot-long, concrete ocean pier.

WHEN IT'S HOT, OUR WATER MISTERS WILL COOL YOU OFF SO YOU WILL ENJOY PLAYING! Mini-golf can be enjoyed here under the shadow of T-Rex and Raptor dinosaurs, depending on which side you choose to play on. Either one has what it takes: 18 hole courses, tropical landscape touches and a playful approach to putt-putt. One sign declares the “Law of the Land,” which includes a warning not to ride, feed or beat the animals. The animals, of course, are oversized sculptures of cartoonish fierce-looking dinosaurs, who guard waterfalls and peek out from ponds and canals. Golfers are also guided to their chosen course by different colored footprints for each monster --- red for T-Rex, yellow for Raptor. The courses are Par 2, easy enough for kids, but still fun enough for the older folks. The view of Manteo and the Roanoke Sound from the course is a bonus. 

A branch of Kitty Hawk Kites, here’s a place where you can catch a boat to go watch dolphins, learn how to do various watersports, or just rent the equipment to go  have some fun in the water. The big dog of outdoor recreation on the Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk Kites knows how to help people make the most of the beautiful Outer Banks environment. Located right on the edge of Roanoke Sound off the Nags Head-Manteo causeway, this outlet offers kayak tours from sunrise to sunset in Manteo and Bodie Island, including a bioluminescence tour where you can paddle through green glowing water at night.  Experienced tour guides provide tips on proper paddling techniques for the easy-to-operate boats, and share fascinating details about wildlife, history and natural resources in the area. Make sure you slather on the sunblock, and bring a hat, water and snacks! The location also offers kiteboarding, wake boarding and surfing lessons. Kayaks, jet skis and standup paddleboards are available to rent,  and the shop sells Outer Banks souvenirs, pirate-themed items and stunt and family kites. The two-hour dolphin tours are held on a real research vessel and conducted by a dolphin scientist. 

 Awarded the Certificate of Excellence by Trip Advisor for 2016! Braids by Life on a Sandbar & Braids is about fun and creating memories. We specialize in: braids, hair wraps, feather extensions, as well as henna tattoos, air brush tattoos, stepping stones, and making your own sand art creations. We offer fun for the whole family and are great for birthday parties.  In addition to braids and braid services, we offer many activities to choose from, and we can accommodate big parties. Just call to make a reservation in either location of Nags Head or Corolla. 
 
Snow Cones are hand made in the Corolla location only. Many toppings to choose from and very refreshing, great for a summer.

Waterfront Beer Garden serving up the award-winning beer from the Lost Colony Brewery. Kick back on our deck at one of the dozens of waterside tables. We encourage you to pack your own picnic, order a pizza delivery or bring some take/out food from any of the fantastic restaurant OBX restaurants. Browse our shop filled with brewery t-shirts, sweatshirts, long sleeve sun shirts, and local art. Come get Lost in our veiws!

Aarrgh! Mutiny Bay Adventure Golf beckons you back to the days when pirate ships roamed the coast and sounds of the Outer Banks and local land pirates lured ships to shore. Enjoy 18 holesof miniature golf on our beautifully landscaped soundside course. We are handicap and stroller accessible. All day play is available until 4:00 pm. And don’t miss the arcade, ice cream, and souvenirs located in the club house.

You haven’t been to the Outer Banks if you haven’t been to a fishing pier, and Nags Head Fishing Pier is as authentic as they come. One of the oldest and longest surviving piers on the barrier islands, this is a great place to take the kids or less agile folks to hook a fish. But people of all ages and skill levels enjoy the great inshore fishing available here, thanks to the closeness of the warm Gulf Stream off the coast. There’s a full-service tackle shop with gear for rent, including rods, reels and other tackle. Bait is also for sale. One-day, three-day eight-day and season passes are available, and kids pay half. And if you catch a fish, you can have the pier's restaurant cook it for you! Even if you never fished a day in your life, it is worth paying the $1.50 to walk on the pier to enjoy the view and the wonderful social scene, and be entertained watching folks fish. The ocean looks awe-inspiring, and it’s fun to feel the sturdy pier sway as the waves crash under it.

This beautiful 18-hole golf course is visible from the Bypass in Nags Head, and most days, you’ll see numerous folks happily playing golf on the Scottish links-style championship course. Located along the Roanoke Sound just across the road from the ocean, there’s usually a breeze cooling the golfers who frequent this popular year-round course.

Nags Head Pier offers some of the best fishing on the east coast. Its proximity to the Gulf Stream provides access to a great variety of inshore fish, and the Pier Shop furnishes all the equipment needed to catch them. The Shop’s experts can even offer a few tips, along with the bait, tackle and rod and reel rentals.Not only will the pier help you catch the fish, the Nags Head Pier Restaurant with cook them up - fried, grilled or blackened - and serve them to you with fries, cole slaw and hushpuppies. The restaurant is a great place to come early for breakfast and watch the sunrise and specializes in Carolina-style cooking, offering fresh seafood and other dishes for lunch and dinner, with entrees priced from $7.95 to $24.95.But you don’t have to fish to enjoy the pier. After a filling dinner, you can take the kids or that special someone for a lazy stroll down the pier for only $1.50 per person, with kids sightseeing at half price. Day and season passes for fishing are also available.The Pier Shop also sells souvenirs and Nags Head Pier caps and T-shirts that can be ordered online as well. The pier is at milepost 12, has ample parking and is open to fishin 24 hours a day throughout the spring, summer and fall. The Pier House is open from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Summertime visitors can take their Outer Banks experience to a new level of fun with the local surfing school, Nags Head Surf Camp. This resource for beginning and advanced surfers alike features camps throughout the warm weather season as well as private tutorials and instruction, ensuring that visitors of all ages and skill levels can pick up a fun new sport and activity while enjoying the Outer Banks coastline.

Nags Head Town Park is nestled among the trees on the edge of Nags Head Woods and offers plenty of space for all types of activities. For kids there’s a playground with swings and slides, and for family and group get-togethers, grills and a covered shelter with bathrooms and picnic tables are provided.  Besides the shaded areas, there’s plenty of open space for soccer and other games, frisbee throwing and kite flying. As a bonus, a nearby Nags Head Woods Preserve nature trail offers a scenic .8-mile trek through sand dunes and maritime forests, ending at a small, quiet soundside beach.  To make sure the Park Pavillion is available for group picnics or parties, call the Town of Nags Head to reserve the space. Although reservations are free, a $50 clean up deposit must be dropped off or mailed to Town Hall prior to your event date. The deposit will be returned if the Park is left clean and in good order.West Barnes Street off of Highway 158 at milepost 11 (beside Ace Hardware) runs right into Health Center Drive. Entrance to the Park is just south of the parking area.

Best Jet Ski, Kayak, and Stand-Up Paddleboard Rentals on the Outer Banks! Are you visiting the Outer Banks and want to enjoy some exhilarating fun on the water? Then you’ve come to the right place! Nags Head Watersports offers a large selection of the most popular watersport equipment in North Carolina. Whether it’s your first time gliding across the water on a stand-up paddleboard, exploring our estuaries in a sturdy quiet kayak, or a zipping around Roanoke Sound on a speedy jet ski, Nags Head Watersports has something for the entire family.

Here’s the place to go for some healthy entertainment when the weather is too hot, too rainy or too cold.  Situated at Milepost 10 off the Bypass on the border of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, The OBX Bowling Center is the only bowling alley on the Outer Banks. It’s big enough to handle large groups and parties,but the friendly staff also welcomes last-minute visits from a couple, an individual or a family who wants to play a couple of games and grab a slice of pizza.  

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center is the home of the largest and most modern charter boat fishing fleet on the eastern seaboard. A full service marina in Nags Head NC, Oregon Inlet offers a comprehensive charter boat fishing experience for the "old salt" or the vacationing fisherman.  Give us a call at: 1-800-272-5199!

Outer Banks Horseback is a rental service specializing in guided beach horseback rides. We genuinely have a passion and love to horseback ride. Our ability to do it on the beach is something everyone in this world should experience. We strive to give our customers an adventure and memory that they will never forget. Be sure to look out for our services available Fall through Spring in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The Outer Banks Family YMCA is a great place for all ages. Programming offered for children, teens, and adults to stay active in mind, body, or spirit. Though COVID-19 restrictions may currently limit the use of the YMCA facility, outdoor fitness, camp and recreational/lap swimming are available to participate in!

Outer Banks Pier is one of the few fishing piers still standing on the Outer Banks, and it worth a visit even if you don’t fish. The ocean pier in South Nags Head was first built in 1959, and rebuilt after the Ash Wednesday storm in 1962.  When owner Garry Oliver purchased it in 1970, it was about the same length it is now --- 550 feet. Then he decided to extend it 150 feet. But when Hurricane Isabel ripped through the Outer Banks in 2003, it tore the entire 150 feet off.  With the beach widened in 2011, the shoreline is also about where it was when Oliver first owned it.  Open 24 hours a day in the summer, there’s a small fee to walk on the pier without fishing. Fishing passes are available for one day, three days, one week, by the season, and for couples.  Basic tackle and fishing supplies are sold at the pier, along with snacks and T-shirts. There is also a snack bar and outdoor bar that serves beer and wine right behind the pier house. 

Outer Banks Productions is talented, fun loving and the hardest working husband and wife photography team on the Outer Banks! We have been shooting wedding photography and family portraits on the Outer Banks of North Carolina since 2005. Outer Banks Productions love to work with our couples to flawlessly capture their day and special moments. Our style is a mix of photojournalistic and traditional photography.

Use an upcoming Outer Banks vacation as an opportunity to fall in love with a new sport that rules the OBX with a lesson or a full camp offered by the Outer Banks Surf School. Based in Nags Head but providing lessons throughout the central OBX region and beyond, this surf school features talented and trained instructors, multiple options for beginners to experts, and an inherent mission to share the love of Outer Banks surfing with the world.

Located beside the Outer Banks YMCA main building, the YMCA skatepark welcomes skateboards, rollerblades, bikes and non-motorized scooters. With a cement bowl, ramps and a street section, the park, one of the largest on the Outer Banks, has posted rules for usage and is open during daylight hours. Since it’s outside, hours are subject to weather closures. Be warned that the skate park is situated in the middle of asphalt with no trees around, so there is not much shade. Refreshments are available in vending machines, but it would be a good idea to bring your own drinks and snacks.  Young people age 12 or under must have a parent present to skate, and youth age 17 and younger must wear a helmet and knee and elbow pads. Users must register inside before skating, where safety equipment is available at no extra charge. Helmets only must be worn by park users age 18 and over. Fees are available by the day or the week, and are discounted for Y members and North Carolina and Nags Head residents.

Dive into a new adventure that will propel a lifelong love of surfing with a lesson or camp provided by Outer Surf. This surfing company that specializes in offering surf camps for girls and women is changing the game when it comes to surfing along the Outer Banks, and is a great option for visitors who want to learn a new skill and fall in love with the surfing scene of the OBX coastline and miles beyond.

Rock On Charters promises you the “best fishing experience you’ll have in the South.“  Rock On’s Marc Kerns, a US Coast Guard approved captain, has been fishing the Outer Banks’ waters most of his life, and he’s always trying new and old techniques to help him improve his and his clients’ angling skills. Rock On keeps it simple and affordable and yet will still cater a fishing tour to your or your family’s individual needs. Captain Kerns will take you out on a Coast Guard approved and fully equipped Center Console, loaded down with all the rods, tackle, bait and ice you’ll need.For children and beginners, Kerns provides a professional, courteous and patient approach and for seasoned anglers, he goes the extra mile to locate feeding fish, always living up to Rock On’s reputation of providing locals and vacationers with a satisfying and memorable fishing experience.Rock On is very kid and family friendly and “takes a great deal of pride” in being the only charter on the beach to offer a Kid Adventure trip with hands-on experience, teaching all the basics: bait & hook, catch & release and the thrill of catching and taking home the keepers. The family trips also double as a sightseeing tour that’s often enhanced by visits from dolphins swimming and playing beside the boat and pelicans diving for fish.Just call or use the online form any time to book your charter, and Captain Kerns will be waiting for you in the water at the Washington Baum Public Boat Ramp, where you’ll find plenty of parking and clean restrooms.

Discover a new hobby that will last long after an Outer Banks vacation is over, or foster a love of quilting with unique fabrics and patterns that can’t be found anywhere else, with a visit to this colorful and charming shopping destination in the heart of the Outer Banks. Rusty Crow Quilt Shop is a fun shop to explore on-site and online, and with so many fabrics, patterns, and unique gifts to discover, everyone who loves a dose of creativity will feel right at home.

Create an on-the-water memory that you and your family won’t soon forget with an adventure that’s helmed by Safari Dolphin Tours. This local Outer Banks boat tour company offers an array of experiences and literally goes the extra mile to ensure that everyone on board has the best experience possible while capturing plenty of photographs and memories along the way.

One of the oldest authentic surf shops on the Outer Banks, Secret Spot has been surfer-owned at the same location since the early 1980s.  Store founder Steve Hess started board shaping in 1971, and his world-renowned boards have been ridden by many of the Outer Banks’ best surfers, and by many others from Hawaii to California to Australia. With its ceiling covered with surfboards, the shop offers custom made Secret Spot Surf Boards and used boards, body boards, skim boards, as well as skate gear.  Board rentals and surf lessons are also available. A wide range of designer surfwear can be found here, including Rip Curl, Sanuk, Roxy, Rainbow, Lost, Oakley, Electric and O’Neill.  Bathing suits, hats, shoes, shorts, sunglasses, watches and T-shirts are available in a variety of sizes and styles for the entire family.  There’s even cool infant and baby clothes, and tropical gifts and surf art in stock.

With more than 7,500 square feet, TW’s new store in Nags Head is chock full of a wide selection of fishing and hunting gear. Racks of popular clothing lines,  including Aftco Bluewater Wear, Salt Life and Pelagic, and sunglasses and hats are available in the attractive and sunny store. Hunting apparel from Browning and Columbia, as well as supplies like ammunition and other hunting accessories are in stock along with an extensive range of fishing rods, reels and tackle.   Fish-y gifts, jewelry and décor, and fun clothing items for infants and women, can also be purchased.  There’s even a fully-stocked beverage cooler so anglers can pick up their cold drinks before heading out for a long day on the water.  

 There are few locales on the Outer Banks where multiple roads cross paths, and Whalebone Junction is one of the main intersections along this barrier island shoreline. The term refers to the area in South Nags Head where three major highways converge, which are US Highway 64, US Highway 158, and NC Highway 12. Both US 64 and US 158 end at this juncture, but NC Highway 12 continues south from this locale, all the way to the end of Hatteras Island, and across the Hatteras Inlet to Ocracoke and Cedar Islands.

Located just a short stroll from the Nags Head beaches, Yarn and More Inc is a fun stop for knitting enthusiasts from the Outer Banks and miles beyond, thanks to its lengthy selection of yarn, accessories including needles, hooks, and notions, and regular classes for beginners who want to pick up a fun new hobby while visiting the Outer Banks.