Planning a trip to Nags Head

For more than a century, Nags Head has stood at the center of Outer Banks vacation life. Ocean air, bright beaches, and the singular character of the Outer Banks have brought generation after generation back to this shore, often with friends and family who are sure to understand what locals and loyal visitors already know: this place feels about as close to paradise as you can get on this side of heaven.

Nags Head is one of the best-known communities in the Northern Outer Banks, helped along by the enormous dunes of Jockey’s Ridge State Park, and it also has nearly everything travelers look for in a beach town. Visitors will find vacation homes, oceanfront motels, and hotels overlooking the water; boutiques, surf shops, an outlet mall, and grocery stores; places to eat that range from fine dining and barbecue to relaxed bites, with standout seafood throughout; plus fishing piers, parks, and a surprising mix of activities.

With Oregon Inlet and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore to the south, Roanoke Sound to the west, and Kill Devil Hills to the north, Nags Head occupies a broad stretch of the Outer Banks, leaving plenty of space for all that vacation-goodness.

The name Nags Head does invite a question: where did it begin? According to local legend, it dates to the early 1800s, when this coastline was gaining the name The Graveyard of the Atlantic, a fitting title with more than a thousand shipwrecks off these shores, due to hidden shoals and sandbars offshore. As the story goes, some shady characters tied lanterns to the necks of old farm horses and walked those nags along the dune ridges in what is now Jockey’s Ridge State Park. From the water, the swaying lights appeared to be lanterns hanging from ship topmasts in a safe harbor. Ships would steer toward what seemed like protected waters, only to run aground in the shallows during the dark hours of the night after coming too close to the beach, where these land-based pirates could recover wood and cargo from the wreckage. That, the legend says, is how Nags Head got its name.

Today, thankfully, there is no need to worry about lantern-loving scalawags. Instead, Jockey’s Ridge is a place to fly kites, watch sunrise and sunset, try sandboarding, which is a bit like sledding or snowboarding on sand, and even give hang gliding a shot. After all, if the Wright Brothers could get airborne on the Outer Banks, why not you?

Jockey’s Ridge is not the only landmark in Nags Head. Longtime visitors may remember Jennette’s Pier as an extended wooden pier where the fishing was good and the steady wind reminded everyone exactly where they were: on the Outer Banks. Storm seasons gradually damaged the original Jennette’s Pier, built-in 1939, and a final storm removed 540 feet from the pier’s end. The North Carolina Aquariums, the new owners, turned that damage into an opportunity to rebuild and enlarge the original pier house with an aquarium and exhibition space focused on Outer Banks ecology. Today, a LEED Platinum concrete pier reaches 1,000 feet into the Atlantic, and wind turbines contribute power to the green facility. Anglers and sightseers still arrive hoping to reel in a record fish, or at least try, and to take in the beauty of the Outer Banks.

For those who prefer the old feeling of wooden piers, the far southern end of Nags Head is home to Outer Banks Fishing Pier. It offers that classic mix of weathered wooden boards and railings, a light sway when the largest waves roll through, and all the curves expected from a pier with this kind of character.

Much of the beach in Nags Head is watched and patrolled by Lifeguards and Ocean Rescue personnel. Beach access is available to the public, as well as to locals and renters, though some oceanfront and ocean view rentals include private paths to the sand.

Across from Jennette’s Pier sits Sam and Omie’s, one of the oldest restaurants on the Outer Banks. Sam and Omie’s began in the mid-1950s after the owner and his brother found success in the early charter fishing business. Several versions, and a couple of ownership changes later, it remains the charming seaside shack known as Sam and Omie’s, a landmark that also happens to serve excellent food.

That is only one of the Nags Head restaurants that has fed generations of locals and travelers. Owen’s Restaurant is another. Owen’s has the distinguishing honor of being North Carolina’s oldest, same-family, same-location restaurant; they’ve been at it for 75 years and counting. At Owen’s, the Outer Banks comes through in family recipes, including crab cakes, that have remained unchanged since the restaurant opened in 1946. As much food as possible is sourced from nearby fisheries and fields, giving the dishes a true sense of place. The restaurant feels rooted here, too, with family heirlooms on display like an Outer Banks time capsule.

Look around and plenty more places are serving the flavors of the Banks. Basnight’s Lone Cedar, located on the causeway between Nags Head and Roanoke Island, has earned recognition for both seafood and views. Excellent seafood can be found at Tortugas’ Lie, Tale of the Whale, Miller’s Waterfront Restaurant, and nearly anywhere you step inside. The dining scene is not limited to coastal seafood, either. Single Fin offers Thai and sushi, Woo Casa Kitchen focuses on healthy, tasty fare, Sooey’s BBQ & Rib Shack brings salt and smoke, and breakfast spots such as Grits Grill and The Dunes serve satisfying dishes throughout the day. Add locally owned coffee shops, candy stores, fudge shops, ice cream, donuts, and other sweet-stop favorites, and every meal or snack craving is covered.

If a longer stay calls for supplies, Nags Head has the area’s largest selection of grocery stores, including The Fresh Market and FoodLion, local options such as Cahoon’s Market, and seafood markets including Austin Fish Company, Greentail’s Seafood Market and Kitchen, and Whalebone Seafood.

The Outer Banks Hospital and Sound Veterinary Hospital are also here if care is needed for visitors or their furry companions.

Along the ocean and Sound, travelers will find rental homes, B&Bs and Inns, and hotels and motels with plenty of comfort and charm. Some visitors want an authentic, locally owned stay. Others travel with loyalty cards, points, miles, and earned rewards in mind. Roughly half of the hotels are mom-and-pop properties, many of them refreshed accommodations that have welcomed Outer Banks visitors for decades. The rest are brand-name hotels offering familiar amenities along these beautiful shores. Whether the goal is a heritage-style stay with a bit of old-school charm or the convenience of redeeming nights and using saved upgrades, Nags Head has both options covered.

For many people, Nags Head is the first beach town they meet when arriving by US 64. It works well as a home base for discovering the beaches and communities to the north, exploring the long sandy stretch to the south at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and its villages, and visiting Roanoke Island to the west.

More ways to experience Nags Head

Places To Stay

Nags Head makes it easy for multiple families or extended families to gather for time together while still giving everyone room of their own.

Restaurants

Franchise restaurants are relatively uncommon on the Outer Banks. Most of the places to eat here are locally rooted instead.