Kitty Hawk visitors will be overwhelmed with possibilities, from amazing shopping to quiet soundside hikes. The following Kitty Hawk activities are popular and most always in season for Outer Banks vacationers.

Hiking/walking - Visitors will find a network of hiking trails through Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve, which can be altered from .5 mile excursions of full 5 mile loops. Access points and parking can be found throughout the soundside, from behind the Wal-Mart shopping complex to the small residential communities off of The Woods Road.

Biking - The trails throughout Kitty Hawk Woods are ideal for biking, and the Beach Road which runs parallel to the oceanfront also boasts a small lane designated for bikers and pedestrians. Visitors can also check out the collection of side roads on the southern edge of Duck Woods Country Club in neighboring Southern Shores for family-friendly rides through small, undeveloped streets.

Kayaking - Kayaking has a cult following in the Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve, and popular trails include long paddles along the soundside's Jean Guite Creek, High Bridge Creek, or Ginguite Creek. Paddlers can launch via the parking lot of Kitty Hawk Kayaks, or the public boat launch on Bob Perry Road, which can be found off the intersection of US Highway 158 and Kitty Hawk Road.

Birding - Head to the 1,800+ acres of Kitty Hawk Woods for exceptional birding in the maritime forest and adjacent marshes and estuaries. Scope out the hiking trails off of The Woods Road, or head to the edge of Bob Perry Road for soundfront views that extend to Hog Island and Stove Island.

Surfing - Surfing is big in Kitty Hawk, and surfers flock to this town when off-season nor'easters or offshore summer hurricanes pass by. Surfers will want to watch for red flags along the beaches, which are posted when swimming and surfing conditions are hazardous. Swimming and surfing is prohibited when flags are posted. Also, all surfers must attach a surfing leash, per Town of Kitty Hawk regulations.

Lighthouses - Kitty Hawk is about 20 miles away from the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla, and about 20-25 miles away from the Bodie Island Lighthouse, located south of Nags Head. Both lighthouses are seasonally open for climbers, generally from April until mid-October.

Fishing - Anglers can head to the oceanfront beaches for decent surf fishing, or check out the Kitty Hawk Pier, which offers weekly and yearly fishing passes via the adjacent Hilton Garden Inn, or the Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills. On the soundside, check out the waters and creeks adjacent to Kitty Hawk Bayfor exceptional fishing, clamming, and even crabbing.

Beaches - Kitty Hawk beaches are protected by the town's Ocean Rescue, and feature fixed lifeguarded stations in the summer months at Byrd Street, Eckner Street, and adjacent to the Kitty Hawk Bath House. Public beach accesses that also have public parking can be found at the following locales:

  • Balchen Street
  • Bennett Street
  • Bleriot Street
  • Fonck Street
  • Hawks Street
  • Lillian Street
  • Maynard Street
  • Wilkins Street

Wildlife Viewing - At the Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve, visitors can enjoy some of the best birding and wildlife viewing in the Outer Banks, as the region features maritime deciduous forest, maritime swamp forest, marshes and creeks. Park at the David Paul Pruitt Park or the Sandy Run Park for easy access.

Swimming - The ocean is typically warm enough for swimming from Memorial Day through Mid-September, and Kitty Hawk has three fixed lifeguarded stations as well as a roving patrol. On a rainy day, visitors can head south, to Nags Head's YMCA, where an expansive community indoor pool can be enjoyed with a guest membership.

Camping - RV campers can head to the Kitty Hawk RV Park, which is found close to the oceanfront and Beach Bypass attractions. Tent campers who like a rustic setting can reserve a spot at the Adventure Bound Campground in Kitty Hawk Woods. Both campgrounds are open year-round and offer a wealth of amenities including picnic areas, grills, bathrooms, recreational areas and more.

Stand Up Paddleboarding - Stand Up Paddleboarding newcomers can check out Promenade Watersports, located at the edge of the Wright Memorial Bridge, for hourly rentals, or can head to Kitty Hawk Watersports in Nags Head for lessons and equipment. Paddle boarders can also launch in the heart of Kitty Hawk Woods via Bob Perry Road for a more scenic and secluded cruise.

Golf - Kitty Hawk is home to the Sea Scape Golf Links, an 18-hole course which boasts several holes with ocean views. Golf lovers can also head a couple miles north to the Duck Woods Country Club in Southern Shores, or a few miles south to the Nags Head Golf Links. Sea Scape and Nags Head Golf Links are both semi-public courses and accept online tee time reservations

Scenic Spots - Kitty Hawk Woods has multiple scenic spots, and visitors can head to the edge of Bob Perry Road, the David Paul Pruitt Park or the Sandy Run Park for the best wooded or waterfront views. For a higher perspective, head north to the Wright Monument in Kill Devil Hills or to Jockey's Ridge in Nags Head, where sky-high views from the tops of these massive sand dunes and hills are waiting.

Boating - The NC Wildlife Resource Commission manages a public boat launch that accesses Kitty Hawk Bay , can accommodate 20 vehicles, and is found at the end of Dock Street. There's also a Dare County Public Boat Ramp at the end of Bob Perry Road which can accommodate 30 vehicles and features a picnic area. Both ramps can be popular in the summer months, so if parking is a must, arrive early.

Educational - Kitty Hawk is home to the Children at Play Museum, a fun destination for kids 10 and under. The Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve and Nags Head's Jockey's Ridge are good spots for learning about the unique coastal environment, while the Wright Brothers Memorial in neighboring Kill Devil Hills offers a wealth of National Park Service programs on both the historic First Flight and the local region.

Museums - Bring the kids to Kitty Hawk's own Children at Play Museum, or head 30 minutes north to Roanoke Island, where a number of local museums and historic sites can be found. These sites include Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, the Roanoke Island Festival Park, the Elizabeth II, and the Island Farm, and are all interactive and educational attractions, and are appropriate for visitors of all ages.

Shelling - Kitty Hawk has decent shelling after offshore hurricanes and off-season nor'easters, and frequent beachcombers report having good luck along the beaches after a low tide. Go shelling early during the summer, when the beaches are a little more crowded, and be on the lookout for scallops, coquinas, razor and quahog clams, oysters, and the occasional whelk.

Windsurfing - Windsurfers and kiteboarders can launch via the public boat launch at the end of Bob Perry Road, or can check out the Kitty Hawk Kites watersports center in Nags Head for lessons and equipment rentals. The Kitty Hawk Bayis a prime spot for both of these wind-based sports thanks to its shallow but protected waters, and plenty of high spring and fall winds.

Nightlife - There are plenty of beach bars in Kitty Hawk that stay open after-hours and provide live entertainment, DJs, or even Karaoke. Favorite night spots include Barefoot Bernie's Tropical Grill & Bar, Goombays Grille & Raw Bar, Ocean Boulevard and Hurricane Mo's Beachside Bar. Taxi service is available throughout the Outer Banks via A-1 Taxi, Coastal Cab Company and Coastal Transportation.

Crabbing - The best spot for crabbing is arguably the small creeks and open waters that surround Kitty Hawk Bay , which crabbers and mariners can access via the public boat launch at the end of Bob Perry Road. A handful of soundfront or creekfront vacation rentals also feature private docks, which are good places to drop a crab trap or two.

 

Sun Realty

Sun Realty

Sun Realty offers the Best Selection of Vacation Rentals on the Outer Banks. Our large selection of Outer Banks rentals means you can choose from a wide range of amenities, including private swimming pools, hot tubs, theater rooms, game rooms, pet friendly lodging and more! Our properties span the entire OBX coast including Carova, Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and South Nags Head. On Hatteras Island, we proudly offer beach cottages in Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village.

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Black Pelican

Black Pelican

Black Pelican oceanfront restaurant is one of the Outer Banks’ premier restaurants serving lunch and dinner daily. Black Pelican is where you can enjoy fresh seafood, steaks, vegetarian dishes, sandwiches and some of the barrier island’s best wood-fired pizzas complete with a beautiful ocean view from the dining rooms and outdoor deck. The restaurant is big enough to handle large parties, but the setting is intimate enough for a cozy date.

Gray's

Gray's

Gray’s Outer Banks Lifestyle Clothing Company offers the absolute best in Outer Banks T-shirts and Sweatshirts including Champion, Under Armour with "Outer Banks” and Gear! We carry quality fashions and accessories for the whole family by all your favorite brands including Tommy Bahama, Tribal, ESCAPE, Billabong, Quiksilver, Jack O’Neill, RVCA, Olukai, Cobian, Spartina, Scout, Brighton.

 

Whether you’re shopping for apparel, shoes & accessories, gifts & toys or OBX and Big Duck souvenirs, Gray’s offers the best brands and quality for a beach lifestyle at any of our 4 locations! From sportswear to beachwear and everything in between, Gray’s will outfit your entire family. You can also find great beach accessories at Gray’s, such as Costa sunglasses, Olukai sandals and Sun Bum sunscreen and hair products. Be sure to shop Gray’s signature Big Duck found on t-shirts, sweatshirts and gift items!

 

Established in 1948 by Walter and Stelle Gray, Gray’s began as a single store on the beach road in Nags Head, a land mark that has been beautifully transformed into Seagreen Art Gallery. Visitors to the original Gray’s may remember that the family home was located above the store and that Walter Gray had a passion for Big Band music that was often playing on the store speakers, giving shoppers a little swing in their step.

 

Modern-day Gray’s is still family owned and operated by their children Ronnie and Julie Gray, who carry on a legacy of superior customer service and traditional values. Ronnie’s wife Susan is also an important part of the business. “It really was always a family operating as a business rather than a business being run by a family,” explains Ronnie Gray. “When our visitors come in, they are greeted by a warm hello and a ‘Welcome to Gray’s.’ We try to welcome them as if they’re entering our own home”

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Brew Thru

Brew Thru

No trip to the Outer Banks is complete without cruising through Brew Thru, the Outer Banks’ original drive thru convenience store. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing cold beverage of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks on the go, stocking up your cooler with refreshments to enjoy at the beach or piling up on beer and wine for a party, Brew Thru is a fun and unique experience all vacationers need to see for themselves.

Drive-Through Beer & Gear

Brew Thru is Your One-Stop Shop at the Beach

The year was 1977, and Dana and Becky Lawrentz were chatting with friends over brews in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They got to talking about a gas station convenience store in the area that had built a makeshift drive-through. Everyone agreed it would be pretty great if you could actually drive through a convenience store and pick up everything you needed without getting out of the car. But what would you call a place like that?

Well, you’d call it a Brew Thru.

It was an idea they couldn’t shake, so the Lawrentzes moved to the Outer Banks and built the first Brew Thru with the help of a partner. The idea was that people could come buy everything they would need for their trip to the beach—beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, ice—without getting out of the car. That same year, a t-shirt salesman visiting the store and talked them into adding t-shirts to their product line—and 44 years later there are now more than five million Brew Thru t-shirts out in the wild.

The Lawrentzes’ daughter Brandy and her husband Philip Foreman purchased the business from them in 2002, and they now operate five locations across the Outer Banks.“We love being the one-stop shop for folks on the way to their beach house,” Foreman says. “Our car tenders are the friendliest people at the beach. We’re here to greet you, get you everything you need for your trip, load it up in the trunk for you, and have you leaving with a smile on your face.”

The store is quite expansive, featuring more than 100 brands of beer, dozens of wines and even a vast selection of cigars—not to mention all the snacks, t-shirts and other gear. To make ordering a little easier, customers in line get a menu—fondly known as the Summer-y—that outlines everything available at the store. These Summer-ies are also available in many of the beach rentals, which allows vacationers to decide what they want before driving through.

For customers who would like to get out and stretch their legs, there’s the Brew Thru Shop in Kill Devil Hills, where you can find their world famous t-shirts and other gifts. New t-shirt designs are created each year, making a yearly Brew Thru t-shirt a favorite of locals and annual visitors to the Outer Banks.

The Foremans both grew up in the Outer Banks, and they love that Brandy’s parents’ vision for a friendly and convenient place for people to grab their brews and other beach stay essentials is continuing to flourish.

“Our family has been welcoming people to the Outer Banks since 1977,” Foreman says. “We love this beautiful place, and we want everybody to get to enjoy it.”

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