The Outer Banks of North Carolina

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is one of our favorite places to visit with our dogs.  There are so many fun activities to do with them and some hidden treasures along the way!  


Wright Brothers National Memorial

Located at milepost 7.5 in Kill Devil Hills, this is the site where Orville and Wilbur Wright took their first flight.  It lasted 12 seconds and went a total of 120 feet.  There is very nice memorial set up to honor this great accomplishment, with some awesome photo opportunities!  Dogs are allowed everywhere except for inside of the actual museum, but my advice is to keep them on the paved sidewalks as much as possible because their are little prickly burrs hidden in the grass that will get stuck in your dogs paws.  As long as you stay on the sidewalk, this a great stop for you and your dogs!

Jockey’s Ridge State Park 

This is the largest active sand dune in the Eastern United States.  It is located at milepost 12 in Nags Head.  There aren’t many hiking trails here, but the dunes are huge and super fun for the dogs (and humans) to run up and down.  Climbing to the top will definitely wear out even the most energetic dog, but it's easy enough for 14 year old hound mix to do without any issue.  From the top of the dunes you get a great view and it’s a perfect place to fly kites.  The best part...it’s free!

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

This is my absolute favorite spot on the Outer Banks.  I do consider it dog friendly, but only because it is a drive through wildlife refuge.  I would not recommend walking your dogs through this area under any circumstances.  This refuge is home to Alligators, the largest concentration of Black Bear on the East Coast, endangered Red Wolves, and many species of snakes, including Rattlesnakes.  We have encountered all of these animals, with the exception of Red Wolves.  Conveniently, there is a rest stop a few miles before the entrance, so I suggest stopping and taking your dogs for a nice long walk before arriving.  Also, you know your dog/dogs, if you think that they will bark at, disturb, or scare these animals in any way, then this might not be the place for them.  Our dogs did great here.  They loved observing the bears through the cracked windows and taking in all of the smells, but were very respectful and quiet.  The bears completely ignored them and went about their business.  This is a magical place, where you truly can get up close and personal with amazing animals.  The best time for wildlife viewing is during the summer months, either very early in the morning around sunrise or in the evening, just as the sun is setting.  Happy wildlife watching!

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Sadly, dogs aren't allowed inside the lighthouse, but they can walk around outside.  The outside is quite a sight to behold and its a great stop to let the dogs get out and stretch their legs.  It's an $8 admission to check out the views from the top of the lighthouse, but completely free if you don't go inside.  Either way, I think it's definitely worth the stop if you are in the area.

Futuro House

So, we are totally into quirky roadside attractions and just minutes away from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, there happens to be a great one...the Futuro House.  This isn't the only one of its kind.  Futuro Houses are prefab houses that were created in the 1960's and designed to look like UFO's.  They didn't quite take off, but there are still a few scattered around the country and actually a couple in other countries, as well.  This one is in surprising good condition and you can tell the owner really takes pride in it.  If you like off-beat attractions, then this one is for you!

And don't Forget that all of the beaches are also dog friendly!