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Trails take us places. Whether an informal path that leads to the neighbor’s back door, a wooded trail for hiking or a
black-top bicycle path, trails thread through our lives, connecting us to friends, nature and new worlds.
On the Outer Banks, trails wind through maritime forests, quaint towns, sand hills,
old cemeteries, salt flats and wildlife refuges. Above all, Outer Banks trails offer variety, so whether you’re looking for solitude, exercise or exploration, you’ll find it.
In this hiking overview, we include some
of the prettiest and wildest trails on the Outer Banks, all of which are intended for walking.
If you are more inclined to inline skating or motorized scootering, keep in mind the local towns have asphalt bike paths and lanes where these activities are suitable.
Starting on the northern Outer Banks, the Currituck National Estuarine Reserve is a great place to find solace from the busy world. The North Carolina Coastal Reserve Program manages this site, along with sites in Kitty Hawk Woods and Buxton Woods. The Currituck National Estuarine Reserve features walking trails that wind through beautiful maritime forest. A disabled-accessible, one-third–mile boardwalk begins at the parking lot and leads to a view of Currituck Sound, an important site for migrating waterfowl. Along the way you’ll find interpretive signs to help you learn about what you see. A 1.5-mile primitive trail departs from the boardwalk and heads north through maritime forest. To get to the trailhead parking lot, take N.C. Highway 12 north past Corolla. The parking lot is located on the west side of the road as it bends to the right, just before the paved road ends.
On N.C. Highway 12 between Corolla and Duck is the Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary. A 2.5-mile path runs through part of the 5,400-acre wildlife sanctuary. This protected habitat is the place to see wildlife, including rabbit, deer, foxes and a variety of birds. You can walk the path or bicycle it, and baby strollers are welcome. The remote wetland habitat is home to yaupon, bayberry, pine, live oaks and sea grasses. Spring and fall migration times make for great birding here. Parking is available behind the Pine Island Tennis Cener, and the path is open year-round to the public. The sanctuary also is hailed as a great place to kayak and explore marsh islands and narrow creeks.
In Kitty Hawk, Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve features about 4 miles of hiking trails through maritime forest. This is a wildlife
wonderland that supports gray fox, raccoon and white-tailed deer, plus there are nutria, muskrat, river otter and a host of reptiles, amphibians and waterfowl in the marsh. Listen in the woods for wrens, warblers,
woodpeckers, hawks and songbirds. Rare plants found here include southern twayblade and woolly beach heather. Horses and bicycles are permitted on the trails in Kitty Hawk Woods. You can access the reserve from Woods Road off U.S. Highway 158 at a town parking lot and playground called the Paul Pruitt Jr. Park. Park here and walk south on the multi-use path along Woods Road. Turn right at the blue guard shack and follow Covered Bridge Road until it forms a T. Turn left or right on the trail, as it is a loop.
The Wright Brothers Multi-Use Path is a concrete trail that runs adjacent to the sound in Kitty Hawk and offers beautiful views. The path is a little over a half-mile long and is open to foot and bicycle traffic. There is an osprey nest located along the way, and you’ll see these birds here early spring through
late fall. The path is accessible from several
directions. Motorists can drive to Tateway Road off U.S. Highway 158 and follow it to Windgrass Circle, a cul-de-sac with parking and sound access for paddlers and waders. Alternately, Windgrass Circle can be reached from Moore Shore Road via foot or bike. The path connects to Bay Drive.
Woods Road has a nice bike path that is bordered by trees on both sides. It runs north to south beginning across from Kitty Hawk Elementary School and stretching all the way to Kitty Hawk Road. It is a lovely walking area despite being a busy cut-through for traffic between U.S. Highway 158 and Kitty Hawk Village.
Nags Head Woods Preserve is an Outer Banks marvel consisting of 1,400 acres of
maritime forest. Threading through the preserve are more than five miles of hiking trails that bring the forests’ unusual diversity up close. You can wander through the forest, over high ridges and alongside marshes, estuarine waters and maritime shrub swamps. The hikes are divided into six trails of varying difficulty. Children especially love the Discovery Trail, where interpretive signs are posted.
The Nags Head Woods maritime forest has been able to thrive thanks to a ridge of ancient sand dunes that has shielded the land from the effects of the sea. More than 300 botanical species have been identified in Nags Head Woods, which is an unusual mix of maritime swamp forests and maritime deciduous forests. Rare plant and animal species live within this ecosystem. Visitors are asked to stay on the specific trails and not to disturb wildlife
or remove natural materials or plants. You
can pick up a trail map when you enter the preserve. The trails are well marked.
Roanoke Island Festival Park has a nice boardwalk trail running alongside a small creek and the sound. This is a wonderful spot to get a quick nature boost, spying birds and wetland plants, without traveling too far off the beaten track. Parking couldn’t be more convenient, as it’s just a stone’s throw from the nature trail.
On the north end of the island, runners appreciate the pine needle–soft path of the Thomas Hariot Nature Trail, which is accessed from the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. The approximately 20-minute walk includes signs that relate what English explorers observed of the natural resources 400 years ago.
While in the Fort Raleigh area, check out The Freedom Trail, a 1 1/4-mile jaunt from The Elizabethan Gardens through Fort Raleigh to Roanoke Island’s sound edge. At the trail’s end are signs that tell the story of the escaped slaves who found freedom on the island during and after the Civil War.
There are a several trails on Hatteras Island that will bring you close to nature. The Charles Kuralt Trail – a system that includes
a number of North Carolina nature spots – includes a stop at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Make your first stop the
Pea Island Visitors Center, which is 3.5 miles south of Oregon Inlet. Two disabled-accessible wildlife trails are offered at Pea Island. The North Pond Wildlife Trail, which starts at the Visitors Center, offers spectacular birding along its half-mile stretch. At the end of the trail is a bi-level tower affording a wide view of the wetlands. The Salt Flats Wildlife Trail
is a shorter trail on the north end of North Pond; it ends at a disabled-accessible overlook. It provides views of the Salt Flats area, as well as North Pond.
Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve on Hatteras Island consists of primitive hiking trails for foot-travel only. The reserve is a
resting place in the fall for migratory birds, and rare butterflies, gray fox, mink, river otter and white-tailed deer also are found here year round. The 3-mile system has two main access points from N.C. Highway 12. One is just south of Buxton: Off N.C. Highway 12, turn east onto Old Doctor’s Road. At the end of the sand road is a trailhead sign for a one-third mile hike that takes you up to a high dune ridge. You’ll find the other trail a little bit south of Old Doctor’s Road. Turn east on Water Association Road and take the road all the way back. At the corner of Water Association Road and Great Ridge Road, you’ll find the trailhead and parking. At this location, you can choose a 2 or 3-mile hike. Check the on-site kiosks for maps. All of the Coastal Reserve trails are appropriate for all levels of walkers.
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