When North Carolinians think about going to the beach their first thoughts tend to be Myrtle Beach and other South Carolina beaches or heading south toward towards Florida; however, North Carolina is home to some of the finest beaches in the United States. As summer approaches, consider making plans to visit one or several of our beaches listed below.
Duck Beach, located about 6.5 hours from Charlotte, is a northern Outer Banks town where people return to every year for its beaches, local shops and walkability, especially its boardwalk, a mile-long pet-friendly way to enjoy a post-dinner sunset along the Currituck Sound. Duck is great for people who need the beach but also want to stroll through other natural elements, including lots of oak trees in a maritime forest. If you visit Duck in October then you can check out the annual Duck Jazz Festival which is a free event featuring national, regional and local jazz musicians.
Emerald Isle, located about 5 hours from Charlotte, is a favorite of Triangle residents craving a nearby getaway from the city. Emerald Isle is great for laid-back family hangouts and ditching the city for a long weekend. Check out the remote end of the island called The Point, Fort Macon State Park and the restaurants and bars clustered around downtown Morehead City.
Oak Island is located about 3.5 hours from Charlotte, just 30 minutes south of Wilmington, near the mouth of Cape Fear. The small scale charm of Oak Island still remains even as the population in Brunswick County’s continues to grow. Oak Island is great for hard-core beach lovers who enjoy sitting in the sand all day and marveling at one of the few East Coast beaches where, during spring and fall, you can catch a sunset over the water. Check out the cigarette shaped lighthouse, the Oak Island Pier, and some of the local restaurants. The nearby port town of Southport offers a host of shopping and eating options, including the famous Yacht Basin Provision Co, in its historic downtown overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.
Wrightsville Beach, is located about 3.5 hours away from Charlotte and is the closets beach to Raleigh, NC being 2 hours away. Wrightsville Beach has been voted previously in the past has being North Carolina’s favorite beach to go to. There are a variety of dining options and coffee shops, beach bars, nature trails and surf-friendly waves. If your crew is the type to want a mix of a relaxing beach day paired with a late night of bar hopping, Wrightsville Beach is the way to go. Check out the south end of the beach for access to most of the dining options, including Tower 7 Baja Grill (go early or expect a wait), SUNdays, a cafe on top of a surf shop with a view of the ocean and South Beach Grill. The west end of the beach is more secluded and residential. Wrightsville Beach is known for its blue waters, not clear like Florida, but still blue.
Carolina Beach, located about 3.5 hours from Charlotte, is another favorite for North Carolinians and other tourists. It has been documented by recent beach goers that the once brownish-grey water is turning a clear blue. Carolina Beach is great for families with the classic board walk filled with rides or the state park with miles of hiking. Also checkout Britt’s Donut Shop for glazed doughnuts, and Havana’s for seafood, steaks and pasta in a “polished casual dining” setting.
Bald Head Island, located about 3.5 hours away from Charlotte, is a unique destination in that cars are not allowed on the island and you will have to take a ferry to access the island. Bald Head Island is a lush and luxurious beach that feels chiseled off from the rest of the state, abundant with wildlife, from sea turtles to osprey to gators yes gators! Climb to the top of Old Baldy, a 108-step trek to the top of North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse. Rent a bike and explore. The ferry terminal is at 1301 Ferry Road, Southport, NC.
Oracoke, located about 5.5 hours away from Charlotte, is another car-free island with access only by taking the ferry. Oracoke is a 14-mile, true island retreat. Oracoke is considered to be the purest beach you will find in the state, as the shoreline is maintained by the National Park Service and has no hotels or houses. You can camp on a moonlit night and feel the immensity of the ocean. Check out Howard’s Pub, the classic Ocracoke bar and grill and Dajio for your fine-dining destination. Review the ferry schedule here before making your travel plans.
Ocean Isle, located about 3.5 hours from Charlotte, was once a remote destination that was nearly washed off the map during Hurricane Hazel in 1954. Ocean Isle now has many amenities you might see in larger cities, from large grocers to a wine shop. But it has still been able to maintain that small and far away feel. Ocean Isle is great for fishing, families, and eating). Check out taking a solo kayak through the marshlands at high tide, find a charter fishing trip with friends, eat and drink on the third-floor deck at Ocean Isle Fishing Center, fill the morning with bagels at 59 Causeway or coffee at Drift, make a locally caught dinner with fresh seafood from Island Seafood, or just sit for hours on the south-facing beach and snack on Sunset Slush. This past spring the town finished upgrading its park and playground, complete with two ziplines for kids, and it’s good for hours of entertainment.
Sunset Beach, located about 3.5 hours away from Charlotte, is North Carolina’s southernmost beach that resists commercial development and invites you to drop a dream in a mailbox. Sunset Beach is great for families, small-town lovers, bird watchers, and letter writers. You can walk about a mile south of the Sunset Beach pier and join the tens of thousands of people who have left notes in the Kindred Spirits mailbox. Remain anonymous if you want, but drop your hopes and dreams and confessions. Sunset has a wonderful union with its inland neighbor Calabash, the fried seafood capital. Go to Bennett’s Grill for lunch and try the Calabash burger (crab cake topped with shrimp) and, for dinner, try Oyster Rock, one of the North Carolina coast’s best restaurants.
Hatteras, located about 7 hours away from Charlotte, is the jewel of the Outer Banks that rests where the cool-water Labrador Current meets the warm-water Gulf Stream. Hatteras is great for fishing and small-community life. Take a sport-fishing trip with the Albatross fleet, a family-owned business that dates back to the 1930s and remains the longest-running charter fishing operation on the Outer Banks. If you are really into fishing, get up at 5:30AM, grab a cup of coffee at Oden’s Dock and listen to the captains tell stories (mostly true).
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