Which town in the Outer Banks?
 

We have been going to Hilton Head for several years and are considering somewhere different for our family vaca this summer. The Outer Banks looks great, but I am completely unfamiliar w/the area and there seem to be many different areas that come up when I search for rentals. Is there are big difference, town to town? Which would you recommend? We are a family of four (kids will be 5&7 at time of trip) and want to be on the beach & have decent access to restaurants. Suggestions?

Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills should work.

Here is everything you need to know about the Outer Banks:www.outerbanks.org/ -

Curious

We love Corolla. It is a bit further than Kill Devil Hills. The beaches are beautiful and the ocean seems quite calm. We have been going with children ranging in age from 18 mo to 11 years old. You may have a drive a bit for some restaurants. Duck is also nice, a bit closer than Corolla and busier/livelier. Duck has many shops and restaurants, bike baths and parks. If you drive a bit further out than Corolla you get to the end where access is by 4 wheel drive only, it is really beautiful and you can see wild horses. Also in the past few years another supermarket has opened in Corolla.

We loved Ocracoke, very historic, not built up, although I'm not sure it's exactly what you're looking for. I do think it would be nice for young children.

We stayed in Hatteras too and liked it, but preferred Ocracoke.

We have stayed in Corolla for 3 different weekends and loved it. Smaller town, but close enough to things - and quiet when you want that.

Also, if you go to this area, you must go to The Blue Point in Duck. We make a special trip to go there every year.

How long a drive is it from Corolla to shops/restaurants? I like the idea of staying in an area that is more remote, but we do like to go out to dinner.

Base yourself in Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills. It centralizes you between Corolla. There is a lot more restaurants and shops in Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk. I love Corolla too and Hatteras and Ocracoke. If you base yourself in Corolla, Hatteras or Ocracoke will be a long drive and vice-versa. From Nags Head, Hatteras is a 1-1.5 hour drive. From Corolla, you are 2-2.5 hours from Hatteras. And especially if you want to take the ferry over to Ocracoke. I highly recommend checking out Corolla and the lighthouse which you can climb and if you have a 4WD, take a trip up in to the four-wheel drive area north of corolla. Jockeys Ridge State Park in Nags Head is fun with the kids. It is the tallest dune on the east coast. The kids love to run down it. In Hatteras, 50 miles south of Nags Head is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which you can also climb. I like to climb this one over the Corolla one plus the Hatteras one is taller and more famous. Also, worth checking out is Ocracoke. There is a free 45 minute ferry ride over to the island that runs every half hour. The kids love the ferry ride! Ocracoke offers very uncrowded beaches and a town separated from civilization. It is almost like a port town in New England. There is also another lighthouse at Ocracoke but you can't climb it. Same with the Bodie Island Lighthouse 5 miles south of Nags Head. As far as Ocracoke and Hatteras, I suggest doing them two seperate days. Ocracoke is an all-day affair. Another tip, don't go to the town beaches. Go to the National Seashore beach. The closest access to Nags Head is 5 miles south of town called "Coquina Beach". And don't forget to check out manteo on Roanoke Island. The town is quaint and the kids might like the festival park. It has a lot of living history. There is also a nice aquarium on Roanoke Island.

From Corolla to Duck it's about 16 miles. Really you would have a 20-30 minute drive to the other towns.

I haven't stayed at any of the other towns, but I really love Corolla. I really like the atmosphere of the place.

Snowrooster, there are more restaurants in Nags Head alone than you could p[ossibly eat at in a week and some of them you wouldn't want to eat in anyway.

Do you have any OTHER criteria besides being close to restaurants? Each town has a different "flavor" and even the beaches are somewhat different.

If being as close as possible to ALL the people, congestion, etc., that you'll see at the height of the season on the OBX is the most important thing, then I agree with Nags Head/KDH/KH.

OTOH if you want somewhat less crowded beaches, fewer houses, and a slower pace then some of the other villages/towns might be a lot better for you.

We went to the Outer Banks for the first time last year and was pleased with our stay in Kill Devil Hills. We stayed in a nice hotel right on the beach and were close to restaurants, and the sights.

We chose a motel b/c we were there less than a week. And we did drive up to Corolla (went up the lighthouse), down to the lighthouse in Hatteras, Jockeys Ridge (neat!), Manteo, and did mini-golfing - and I think we were centrally located for all this sightseeing.

You've gotten good info regarding Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head. A day trip to Ocracoke would be fun--stop to see the ponies between the ferry and "town". FYI--you would need four wheel drive to go to some of the beaches on Ocracoke.

We're another family that has been going to Corolla for many years. We rent in Corolla Light and they have many family-oriented activities at the oceanside pool. There is also an indoor pool in case the weather is bad. There are plenty of restaurants available within 5 or 6 miles, and some really excellent restaurants in Duck (like The Blue Point which I agree is great.) It's pretty quiet at night, but there is some family activity like race cars and maybe miniature golf down about 3 miles south in a large shopping complex whose name I cannot remember.

I think that you have to decide what type of vacation you are looking for. Corolla and Duck have very limited hotels, mostly house rentals - some with private pools, some within developments with tennis and indoor pools; we are generally beach people, happy on the beach with a couple of activities, some eating in and some eating out. On the other hand, if you are looking for day trips, such as Roanoke, Oracoke, Manteo (which is fun), the Wright Brothers museum, Jockey's Ridge, the aquarium, etc you are probably better off staying at Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills. Jockey's Ridge and Wright Brothers are very doable from Duck/Corolla. Jockey's Ridge is beautiful at sunset. When we stay in Corolla, we usually spend at least two evenings in Duck for some fun shopping, eating, ice cream, etc. There is so much to do, I think lots more than Hilton Head, which to me seemed very golf oriented. Also, where are you traveling from?

"OTOH if you want somewhat less crowded beaches, fewer houses, and a slower pace then some of the other villages/towns might be a lot better for you."

That is definitely what I want - we want a relaxed vacation. I have been looking at houses and found some that look good in Corrolla (we would like to bring out dog, so that limits the options as well). If anyone has a rental company they reccommend, let me know.

I don't mind driving a bit to go out to dinner/activities, I just don't want to HAVE to drive an hour each evening to reach civilization (which we've done on past vacation in St John, USVI and Hocking Hills, Ohio). It doesn't sound like that would be the case in Corrolla. Oh, we will be driving from Cincinnati, Ohio.

If any of the experts can give me a general description of each of the towns, that would be great. Right now I am leaning toward Corolla - it looks like we can afford something w/an "ocean view" that is just a short walk to the beach, which would be nice. Nobody seems to be suggesting Kitty Hawk - is there a reason for this? Regarding day trips, we'll probably just do one - being land locked in Ohio we like to maximize our time at the beach while we have it!!

Having only stayed in the northern Outer Banks, I can't describe the other towns. Kitty Hawk and Nags Head have been day trips for us, and I think they have a lot to recommend them. It's just that they are busier and way more commercial than Duck or Corolla. I have the feeling that the Buxton/Ocracoke area is very quiet, but beautiful.

In Corolla Light, we usually use Twiddy and have been very happy. This past year, we had a family reunion, so we rented two places and the other agnecy we used was Corolla Classic Vacations. Also, you will find the website www.corollalightresort.com very useful.

I have stayed in Nags Head, Duck and Corolla. I prefer Duck and Corolla areas to Nags Head, just because it is much quieter on that part of the island. You should be able to find a rental that allows dogs, but you will need to book early. If you go online, you will find the names of several realtors.

snowrooster
We usually stay in Nags Head just because that is what we are used to. We do explore other areas and one that we always make a day trip to is Ocracoke. The Ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke is a free ferry and my kids always got a kick out of doing that.

Just for the heck of it, I went to vrbo.com and looked up oceanfront/pet friendly places and did not come up with many but did find this one http://www.vrbo.com/123050

So many of the homes are very large to accomadate more then one family. Try Sun REalty on the Outer Banks, they seemed to have a lot of rentals. http://www.sunrealtync.com/sitepages/pid25.php

When driving the Outer Banks, it is hard to tell If you're in Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, etc they are so close together.

I'm finding some really good deals in SOUTH Nags Head - is there something unappealing about this area that is causing the lower rates? Maybe the homes are just older (decorating does seem a bit dated), but there are some that are a good size & right on the beach, which would be great!

Again, I am not an expert but I think South Nags Head would be fine.The homes would be older than in the North, I think.

It is true that the houses in Duck and Corolla are ideal for sharing with other families. On the other hand, Corolla Light has townhouses, and condos (called Mirage, I think) that would be fine for one family. My kids really loved having access to a couple of pools and/or having a house with a pool. Check out the website I provided above.

The realtors we used are Carolina Designs and Stan White. All the realtors have good websites and are usually quite helpful on the phone. Also location is important regarding distance that your house is from the beach. In most areas you have to walk to the beach as there isn't any beach parking.

My family has annually gone to Corolla since I was four (I'm 18 now). I really love the town. It's very family friendly and a short drive to other popular towns in OBX. Even if you stay on the soundside, you can walk to the beach in minutes (I recommend staying on either side, though I actually prefer the sound.) Pretty much anywhere you stay in Corolla guarantees you access to the restaurants and shops in the center of town. Plus, renting one of the gorgeous homes in this town grants you access to the Corolla resort- equipped with two pools, an arcade and a delicious and cheap bar/restaurant that will deliver your food straight to your spot on the beach. You can rent chairs and an umbrella on the beach and they'll place them there for you every day of your stay (such a low hassle!) At night, the resort hosts bingo nights and similar fun activities and I believe they have a weekly sand scuplture contest (even if you don't participate, it's really cool to see the sand scupltures!).

p.s. Corolla is a thirty-minute drive to Duck maximum for the restaurants and shops there!

We started off in Nag's Head about 20 years ago and slowly moved our way down to South Nag's Head. 'Our place' (don't I wish!) is around milepost 19. It's still close enough to shopping, movies, restaurants, etc. but a little less crowded on the beach. Also, more sandy than stoney. A nice short drive to Manteo as well (good bookstore there and arts festival). We've always rented a cottage on the oceanfront. More expensive but worth it, I think, to be right on the sand.

We've always used Joe Lamb Realty.

It might not be a bad idea to go to AAA and get an Outer Banks map, which may give a better sense of the geography. From Corolla to Ocracoke is a hundred miles or so, and it's two-lane blacktop--in the summer it can be slow going.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be staying at one end or the other--day trips can, indeed, take much of the day traveling.

The road from Corolla or Duck is a long narrow, winding, slow moving road. They have plans on widening it, but has never been done. From Kitty Hawk to Nags Head, is all 4 lane highway 50 miles an hour. And the road down from Nags Head to Hatteras and on Ocracoke Island is a narrow road, but it is a very nice, lightly traveled highway and it is 55 miles an hour. Most of the sites are Kill Devil Hills and south except for the Currituck Lighthouse up in Corolla and the 4WD area if you are interested. On the weekend, the road up to Duck and Corolla gets jammed. So, does the road Kitty Hawk down to Nags Head, but not half as bad. IMO, I would not stay up in duck or corolla, there is only one road in and out of there. Kill Devils Hills and Nags Head are great. For the beach, don't go to the town beach, but go to the National Seashore beach 5 miles south of Nags Head. The sign say's Coquina Beach. There is an old shipwreck there too. Ocracoke isn't all 4wd, there are many beach accesses, where park alongside the road and walk to the beach. From South Nags Head down route 12 to Ocracoke are tons of beach accesses. They are the least crowded too and most pristine. And the Seashore beaches are what the Outer Banks are known for.

There are a few places in South Nags Head where beach erosion has been a recurring problem; Surfside Drive comes to mind.

I don't know what your school schedule is for the kids, but you can avoid crowds by going as absolutely late as posible in the summer. Great beach weather right through Setember, unless you enjoy rip-roaring hot! Also, DO NOT go around July 4th. That's probably obvious, but crowds can swell beyond your imagination! Last, but not least, if you're in the Outter Banks region, unless you find a remote beach house somewhere, you'll have restaurants in reasonabe distance.

asdaven,
that road from Duck, I agree, is problematic. We've never stayed up that far but we did go visit friends there and getting out took a long time and it wasn't even the weekend or rush hour. That alone would stop me from staying up there.

I know everyone has their favourite spot but South Nags Head offers the best of all possible worlds, I think -- accessible to shopping and restaurants, etc., great beach, not as crowded as 'up north', and not too heavily trafficked. We've always gone the last two weeks in August because that last week (at least at Joe Lamb) is considered off season and prices go down.

We've found some of the best times to go have been over Labor Day, anytime in September; we've been as late as the first part of October and still been able to swim.

The only difficulty with later in the season is the possibility of storms and we were forced to evacuate for Isabel and had only spent one night...but that's been a rare occurrence for us.

If having truly unspoiled beaches is the biggest desire then someplce along the National Seashore such as Avon, Frisco, Hatteras Village etc., while not affording the widest variety of commerical businesses found in Kitty Hawk, KDH, and Nags Head, still offer enough diversion/shopping for many.

South Nags Head is a good compromise (we are going for Thanksgiving week this year) as it is close to "civilization" yet far enough removed from a lot of the congestion.

Hi Snow,
I just read your comment:

<I'm finding some really good deals in SOUTH Nags Head - is there something unappealing about this area that is causing the lower rates? Maybe the homes are just older (decorating does seem a bit dated), but there are some that are a good size & right on the beach, which would be great!>

No, the houses in South Nags Head are great. We traveled with two other families (in total, 3 adult couples and two 'kids' in their early 20s) and our house had 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (one of them ensuite), an outdoor shower (which we all loved and used), a big livingroom, dining room that could seat 8 easily, not giant but reasonable kitchen, and a screened-in porch which had lounge chairs and a picnic table in it. That's where we had most meals. The house was nicely decorated but not so fancy you'd worry about it.

I wish I could give you the house number. It was #242, I think, with Joe Lamb, but it got sold last year and another company has taken it over. It seems they've made 'improvements' to it and it's now priced out of our range. If we get a notice about it this year, I'll pass along the information.

We've been going to the Outer Banks every second summer for about 26 years and had several cottages in several locations (although always oceanfront). Then we hit on this cottage in South Nags Head and loved it so we've taken it for about the last 5 of those trips. We were very sorry to have to let it go.

Having read your posts, I think South Nags Head would suit you perfectly.

Thanks for all the great info. I'm searching for properties on several realtor websites and am considering Corolla, Duck, Nags Head, S Nages Head and Kill Devil Hills. I have a lot of set criteria (price, walk to beach, king bed in master, at least 3 tvs, pet friendly, hot tub and the kids would really like access to a pool - either private or community). Once I figure out when we are going (waiting to get dates from work on when I will have to travel to our summer sales meeting) I can start narrowing down my options. We can't go late August as kids go back to school on the 20th. Mid June is also discounted, but I worry it may not be warm enough. I know typically it would be, but we went to Hilton Head once in early June and it was unseasonably cold and kind of ruined the vacation.

It sounds like there are SOME restaurants in Corolla, so we would not HAVE to drive to Duck every night if we didn't feel like it, no? Maybe once I get my options narrowed down I will post links to the properties I am considering and see what y'all think. It's hard never having been to the area, but it looks beautiful and we are just excited to be going someplace new, having gone to Hilton Head for several years in a row.

When I go to the Outer Banks these days, I don't do any day trips. So, it's pretty much one trip up to Corolla and there I stay. Besides the beach, we usually rent jet skis one day, climb the lighthouse and visit the Whalehead Club and the new, small museum, go crabbing, reserve the wallyball court, play tennis & watch the sunset in a hot tub with wine. Very relaxing. We do stay on the sound and find it is great over there. There is a trolley that runs to the beach every 20 minutes or so, or we ride bikes. We rent an umbrella and chairs so there all set up when we get down there.

There is a pizza place, a barbacue place and at least 2 restaurants right in Corolla. There are plenty more about 3 miles south.

The traffic is horrendous on Saturdays. You can get around some of it by renting Fri - Fri or Sun - Sun when that is offered. Or drive as far as you can the night before, and stay in a hotel so that you are up early and over the bridge by 10AM.

You'll have a great time whereever you choose, I'm sure.

We have used Southern Shores Realty, Twiddy and Sun Realty - all with good results. If you are going in the summer season, I would recommend a pool - we have been there when it has been extremely hot and the water either too rough or too cold to go into. The pool was a lifesaver. Wouldn't rent a house without one anymore.

I love South Nags Head. I've been going to the Outer Banks since I was a teenager (many decades) and I like South Nags Head better than any other area. It is less congested, the beaches are nice, it is close to all the sights, shopping and restaurants. There are a lot of ocean front cottages and condos that can be rented. I use Joe Lamb Realty, Kitty Dunes Realty, and Sun Realty.
Summer is always crowded, not matter where you stay, so expect traffic on the main roads unless you are going off season. Even a week before or after peak season can make a difference. I think you will love the Outer Banks, no matter where you stay. Don't expect the area to be a party town. It is geared for families and is much quieter than most beach towns.

I have been going to the Outer Banks for 40 years.

Duck and Corrolla are very upscale, exclusive and have nice beaches but IMHO are not beachy at all and have no southern flavor. The drive can be a nightmare due to traffic on the two lane road. Make sure you get a house close to the beach as there is little to no public access for parking. I spent a week driving teenagers back and forth down to Nags Head. Never again.

Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nagshead are more commerical but nothing like Mrytle Beach. You are in the middle of everything. Very beachy and you'll have more choices for renting with a dog as you will further south. However, be careful about the width of the beachs in some areas, like Kitty Hawk. I agree with South Nags Head, quiet but very convenient to everything.

The beaches further south such as Salvo, Avon, etc. are quiet and have beautiful very wide beaches. Rip tides can be very bad and the beaches are not guarded.However, eating choices are limited. Very uncommerical, which some people love or are bored to death.

Just curious, what "not beachy" means?

I'd like to get the definition of "southern flavor" too!

This is a helpful post. We're usually Myrtle Beach/North Myrtle Beach visitors. But, we would like to see a new stretch of beach for 2008. We have early to mid June available or mid-August. We suspect traffic in mid-August would be so much heavier than around June 10. BUT, what about usual weather and beach water temp in mid-June? We find mid-June to be GREAT at the Grand Strand - about 76 to 78 degrees in the ocean and around 82 degrees on land.

Also, we would want a life-guarded beach to help us watch our sons in the water. What areas are (or are not) guarded?

Thanks!