Guide To OBX

If you are in to birdwatching and looking for a great place to visit, have the chance to spot 400 different types of birds in the wildlife, and just enjoy a day away from the beach, then you should definitely check out the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Cape Hatteras Island.

Quick Facts:

• Established: May 17, 1937.
• Size: 5,834 acres (land), 25,700 acres (Proclamation Boundary Waters).
• Located on the north end of Hatteras Island, a coastal barrier island and part of a chain of islands known as the Outer Banks.
• Approximately 13 miles long (north to south) and ranges from a quarter mile to 1 mile wide (from east to west).
• Location: 10 miles south of Nags Head, North Carolina on NC 12.

You can view the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge website for much more detail about birdwatching, hiking trails, and paddling areas available.

Observation platforms are located throughout the refuge. Visitor’s center is open year-round, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Phone: (252) 987-2394 or (252) 473-1131.

There are also some other areas along the Outer Banks which have great birdwatching trails and areas including the Bodie Island Lighthouse area. Future posts will cover these spots!

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Are the kids going on vacation with you to the Outer Banks? Are they into skateboarding or rollerblading? Then check out the two skate parks along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. One of the great things about OBX is that the area offers such a wide variety of activities…and not all of them have to be beach focused! Here are the details on the OBX skate parks!

Island Revolution Surf Co. and Skatepark

During the season, we offer a full range of activities for the park. We have summer skate clinics that are going to run on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 am, clinics last for 2 hours and the cost is $30.00. Please call with any questions regarding the clinic! We always offer our free skate on Wednesdays during the summer, from 6:00pm-8:00pm, which always brings out some great crowds! Make sure to sign up in the shop for entry into the skate park.

* Killer bowl with 9 foot deep end and 4 foot shallow end with rolling transition from shallow to deep. Everyone loves the crossover nipple in the middle!
* Mini Ramp with a spine (parking curb coping)
* Embankment table top with grind rail
* Mini street course with wedge ramps

Rates and Policies:
* The skate park is $10.00/day during the season and $5.00/day in the off-season.
* Full pads (elbow, knee, and helmet), are required for anyone under 18 years old. Helmet is required for those over 18 years old.
* Everyone is required to fill out a release form so if you are under 18 years old please bring a parent or guardian your first time. Anyone over 18 years old can sign their own release form.
* Full pads are $5.00/day and single set pads are $2.00/day.
* Board rentals are $5.00/day

Phone Number: (252) 453-9484
Website: http://www.islandrevolution.com/

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Outer Banks YMCA Skate Park

The Outer Banks Family YMCA skate park is made up of two parts: street obstacle course and world-class bowl. The street course contains the optimal skate surfaces; satellite and concrete. Integrated into the street course is a challenging mini-ramp which is 20 feet wide and 4 feet high. The bowl half of the park has countless pockets, hips, roll downs, roll ups and depths. “Ping Pong Alley” and sensory overload are just a few of the expressions often used to describe the YMCA bowl. The street ramp area offers pyramids, bank, hubbas, a euro-gap, rails, multiple ledges, quarter pipes, a fly box and other unique features. The Outer Banks Family YMCA skate park has something for everybody, from beginner to professional, and has great flow.

Location: MP 11, Bypass, Nags Head
Phone: (252) 449-8897
Website: http://www.ymcashr.org/obx

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This post is from a series where we’ll be providing a few different businesses that offer wild horse tours and off road adventures. For more details, visit the first post, Corolla Wild Horse Tours and Off Road Adventures.

This is a Land Cruiser adventure tour that is convoyed of other self-driven Land Cruisers.  The group departs from the beach past Corolla Village for a 20 mile roundtrip voyage towards the Carova Beach and False Cape Park at the Virginia state line.  This convoy will be lead by a personal guide that will take you into the preserved habitat of the wild horses of Corolla.  In this sanctuary you will see the horses roam freely.  Each guide is experience and knowledgeable of the area and its history.

You will certainly have a long lasting impression of your unforgettable tour of roaming wild horses and the spontaneous appearances of wildlife.   Be prepared to take lots of pictures along the voyage of the ancient maritime forest at Wash Woods with its rising sand that extends out into the ocean.  If you prefer a private viewing, you can reserve a tour to visit other wild horse reserve areas.

www.CorollaOutback.com

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This post is from a series where we’ll be providing a few different businesses that offer wild horse tours and off road adventures. For more details, visit the first post, Corolla Wild Horse Tours and Off Road Adventures.

This company was established by Bob’s Tours to offer self-driven jeep tours.  If you are confident to venture without a guide, enjoy the 2 ½ hours, 25 mile long escapade.  The safari style adventure in the 4×4 jeep will truly be a unique experience.  During your carefree tour, you will follow a preplanned route to the north beaches of the Outer Banks.  Without any guesswork, you will see the infamous Wild Spanish Ponies along Swan Beach and the Canals of Carova Beach.

All of the Beech Jeeps are late models that will safely convey a 4 to 5 people.  This tour is completely secure in transporting children that require car seats and even expectant mothers because you can go as slow as you want to go.  However, if nothing impedes your need to speed a fast and bumpy ride off-road, fasten your seatbelts and let the adventure begin.

www.BeachJeepsOfCorolla.com

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This post is from a series where we’ll be providing a few different businesses that offer wild horse tours and off road adventures. For more details, visit the first post, Corolla Wild Horse Tours and Off Road Adventures.

At Bob’s Tours, they offer a 2 hour guide in brand new open topless vehicles allowing you to soak in that sun and get a whiff of the salt air. Since they are working at hard at accommodating larger groups with the anticipated arrival of new vehicles, they will not be open until May 2009.

Bob’s Tours knowledgeable guides will keep you entertained with the history of the Corolla Wild Horses while navigating through the dunes. You will experience the entire area where these intriguing creatures call home. This will definitely be a safe trip for all ages especially children that require a car safety seat. The open-air vehicle fits up to 17 people; however, if you are not an outdoors person, you can reserve a seat in the air conditioned cab.

www.CorollaWildHorseTour.com

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This post is from a series where we’ll be providing a few different businesses that offer wild horse tours and off road adventures. For more details, visit the first post, Corolla Wild Horse Tours and Off Road Adventures.

This Safari is over two hours long covering the Outer Banks beautiful beaches.  You can explore the back country in a 4WD family sized SUV.  The tour will carry you along the hills and trails along the ocean in search for these strapping Mustangs.  Along your search for the ponies, you will come in contact with the abundance of North Carolina’s wildlife such as a red fox, white-tailed deer, or even surfing dolphins.   If you have children, they will most certainly enjoy filling out the “Critter Count” sheet listing all the animals seen during the tour.

Wild Horse Safari provides an eco-venture that the entire family can enjoy.  Enjoy the informative journey while discovering unique places such as a petrified forest, a giant sand dune called Penny’s Hill, and the century old lifesaving station and watch tower.  The naturalist guides will most certainly enlighten you with their knowledge of the unbelievable barrier islands.

www.WildHorseSafari.com

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This post is from a series where we’ll be providing a few different businesses that offer wild horse tours and off road adventures. For more details, visit the first post, Corolla Wild Horse Tours and Off Road Adventures.

This tour company takes pride in being voted the #1 attraction in Corolla, NC.  With their motto being “No two tours are ever the same”, they offer a variety of options to discover the Corolla Wild Horses.   You can cruise comfortably in an air conditioned Suburban along the pristine northern beaches or if you seek excitement, you can have a rugged and bumpy travel in an open-top Jeep.  Never worry about a “caravan tour” with total strangers as you will have your very own personal navigational guide or expert driver during your tour.

You will definitely have a unique experience with the option of customizing your route.    So whether you are looking for a mild or wild tour, you will absolutely enjoy covering over 20 miles of an unforgettable off-road adventure.  If for any reason you do not find the Wild Corolla Mustang Ponies during your two hour tour, you are guaranteed your money back—can’t beat that.

www.WildHorseTour.com

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North Carolina takes pride in preserving the natural wonders of their enchanting wildlife such as the wild horses that roam in herds along the shores.   Corolla Wild Horses are one of North Carolina’s most significant historic and cultural resources in the coastal area.   These magnificent horses have survived 400 years of harsh conditions and inadequate vegetation to roam free along the beaches.  Brought here by early explorers, these horses are descendants of Spanish Mustangs.  They are definitely a site not to be missed!

This is a perfect time of the year to view these majestic animals and bring home some memorable photographs.  Off-road tours and jeep rentals allow visitors to see parts of the coastal area of North Carolina that otherwise might not be found.

If you’re interested in exploring the area or seeing the horses with or without a guide, try contacting one of the tour companies listed below:

• Wild Horse Tour- From Mild to Wild
• Wild Horse Safari- A Family Fun Eco-Adventure
• Bob’s Off-Road Wild Horse Adventure Tours-Entertaining Families for over a Decade
• Beach Jeeps of Corolla- Off Road-Escapade
• Corolla Outback Adventures- Riding Retro

Visit each site for more information such as pricing and reservations.  In season these tours book fast so make sure to make a reservation early.  Prices in previous seasons have started around $30/person for a guided tour and more for your own rental vehicle. Don’t forget your camera to capture the magnificent wild horses frolicking along the coast.  Have an incredible time exploring the habitat of nature North Carolina’s preserved wildlife!!

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Take a walk through history in the special gardens that commemorate the first English colonists who came to North America in 1584-1587. The Elizabethan Gardens, off the shores of Roanoke Island, is located on the same site which the colonists first landed. Take pleasure in one of the finest examples of gardens of this period and the exquisite antique statuary located on the premises.

By walking through the garden, created by the Garden Club of North Carolina, you will quickly learn why this spot has been featured in many landscape books and calendars. Do not fret if you cannot make it to this destination during the spring as it is open 7 days a week year round.

Each season brings in a colorful, fresh and invigorating array of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees that can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Garden highlights include:

• The thatched roof, 16th century-style gazebo that overlooks Roanoke Sound
• A marble statue of Virginia Dare carved in Italy by Maria Louisa Lander
• The ancient live oak thought to be more than 400 years old
• The Sunken Garden with an antique Italian fountain as its central focal point
• The Shakespearean Herb Garden
• The Queen’s Rose Garden featuring pierced brick walls and The Queen Elizabeth Rose which was given to The Elizabethan Gardens by Queen Elizabeth II
• The world’s largest bronze statue of HRH Queen Elizabeth I

The environment of this 16th century pleasure garden is especially enchanting while partaking in programs and events hosted by The Elizabethan Gardens such as their Easter egg hunt and Mother’s Day event. You can also relive history through their plays and cultural events. The Elizabethan Gardens also provides an excellent venue for wedding receptions, family gatherings, educational workshops, meetings or other special events.

Plan a visit to tour the majestic garden with its plethora of beautiful flowering plants, wildflowers, shrubs and trees located at the historic site of The Lost Colony. Check out their website to take a virtual tour and obtain general information at www.elizabethangardens.org.

Contact Information:
The Elizabethan Gardens
1411 National Park Drive
Manteo, NC 27954
252-473-3234

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If you are a lover of nature and all its glory, Jockey’s Ridge State Park may be the spot for you. This park is known for the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States located in Nags Head.This is definitely one of the most significant landmarks on the Outer Banks, North Carolina.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park is a place where anyone can relax and cut loose. If walking the sandy dunes isn’t on your agenda, take a stroll along the 384-boardwalk. Enjoy the spectacular view from the tree-lined walkway while reading the panels that describe the various plants and animals found around the dunes. Take a seat on the bench and rest your feet while you overlook your family and other visitors playing on the dunes. Also, with a 24-hour prior notice, transportation to the top of the dune may be available.

You can enjoy all the commodities of the Jockey’s Ridge State Park year round. If you plan on walking the dunes, plan accordingly, the sand is usually 25 to 30 degrees higher than the air temperature. If you find the need to explore, enjoy the self-guided trails such as the Soundside Natural Trail and the Tracks in the Sand.

Experience the world of the desert with its shifting sands and high winds comparable to the Sahara Desert. Take your visit to new heights by flying the same skies as the world’s most famous pilots such as Orville and Wilbur Wright. Fly a kite in the sky or better yet you can hang high in the sky by hang gliding. Take advantage of what nature has to offer by working on your tan or even sandboarding and kiteboarding in selected areas.

Let your inner student learn all about the history and cultural of Jockey’s Ridge State Park and the Outer Banks at the park’s exhibit hall. Here you will learn how and what the dunes are made from. You can also discovery the history where the names “Kill Devil Hills”, “Nags Head”, and other legends such as Blackbeard’s treasure originated. There are also special programs available for students and educators.

Anyone can enjoy Jockey’s Ridge State Park with its wide range of recreational activities. Where else can you learn about history, enjoy a breathtaking view, have a picnic, partake in some extreme sports, or simply take a hike—for free? Contact the park’s office for more details such as required permits and park hours at (252)441-7132.

Contact Information:
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
300 W Carolista Drive
Nags Head, NC 27959
http://www.jockeysridgestatepark.com/
252-441-7132

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