Places to Explore

• Beaufort

  There's a feeling of having stepped back in time in the small seaport with a bustling boardwalk; residents take great pride in the city's restored public buildings and homes—and in their homes' histories... (more)

• Bodie Island

  Natives pronounce it "Bah-dy" not "Bow-dy," which harkens back to the days when this corner of the Graveyard of the Atlantic was known as "Bodies Island" because of all the dead seafarers who washed onto... (more)

• Cape Lookout National Seashore

  Extending for 55 mi from Portsmouth Island to Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore includes 28,400 acres of uninhabited land and marsh. The remote, sandy islands are linked to the mainland... (more)

• Hatteras Island

  The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge arches for 3 mi over Oregon Inlet and carries traffic to Hatteras Island, a 42-mi-long curved ribbon of sand jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. At its most distant point... (more)

• Kure Beach

  A resort community with rocketing construction, Kure Beach contains Fort Fisher State Historic Site and one of North Carolina's three aquariums. In some places twisted live oaks still grow behind the dunes... (more)

• Morehead City

  The quiet commercial waterfront at Morehead City is dotted with restaurants and shops that have put new life in its old buildings. The largest town on the Crystal Coast, it hosts a state port and charter... (more)

• Nags Head

  It's widely accepted that Nags Head got its name because pirates would tie lanterns around the necks of their horses to lure merchant ships onto the shoals hoping to wreck them and profit from the cargo... (more)

• New Bern

  This city of 23,500 was founded in 1710 by a Swiss nobleman who named it after his home: Bern, Switzerland. Since "bern" means "bear" in German, black bears are the mascot of New Bern, peering from carvings... (more)

• Northern Beaches

  The small northern beach settlements of Corolla and Duck are largely seasonal, residential enclaves full of summer rental condominiums. Drive slowly in Corolla: here freely wandering wild horses always... (more)

• Ocracoke Island

  Fewer than 1,000 people live on this, the last inhabited island in the Outer Banks, which can be reached only by water or air. The village itself is in the widest part of the island, around a harbor called... (more)

• Roanoke Island

  On a hot July day in 1587, 117 men, women, and children left their boat and set foot on Roanoke Island to form the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Three years later, when a fleet with... (more)

• Southport

  This small town, which sits quietly at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An increasingly desirable retirement spot, Southport retains its village... (more)

• Wilmington

  The city's long history, including its part in the American Revolution, is revealed in sights downtown and in the surrounding area. The Cotton Exchange and Water Street Market are old buildings now used... (more)

• Wrightsville Beach

  Wrightsville Beach is a small (5-mi-long), upscale, quiet island community. Many beach houses have been in the same families for generations. Increasingly, however, they're being razed in favor of striking... (more)