6 Best Sights in The North Carolina Coast, North Carolina

Authorized by Congress in 1794 to help prevent shipwrecks, this was the first lighthouse built in the region. The original structure was lost to erosion and Civil War damage; this 1870 replacement is, at 210 feet, the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. Endangered by the sea, in 1999 the lighthouse, with its distinctive black-and-white spiral paint and red-and-tan base, was raised and rolled some 2,900 feet inland to its present location. A visitor center is located near the base of the lighthouse. In summer the Museum of the Sea in the former keeper's quarters is open, and you can climb the lighthouse's 257 narrow steps to the viewing balcony. Children under 42 inches tall aren't allowed to climb. Offshore lie the remains of the USS Monitor, a Confederate ironclad ship that sank in 1862.

This restored lifesaving station is now a museum that tells the story of the brave people who manned 29 stations that once lined the Outer Banks. These were the precursors to today's Coast Guard, with staff who rescued people and animals from seacraft in distress. Eight incredibly well-preserved buildings (given the frequency of hurricanes here) on 7 acres include a cookhouse, bathhouse, stables, workshop, and the original 1874 lifesaving station. You'll see original equipment and tools, artifacts, and exhibits. A 1907 cottage moved to the site portrays 19th- and early-20th-century life along the Outer Banks.

"Chicamacomico" is an Algonquin word meaning "land of shifting sands."

In the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, but just a few miles south of Nags Head, Coquina is considered by locals to be one of the loveliest beaches in the Outer Banks. The wide-beam ribs of the 1921 shipwreck Laura Barnes rest in the dunes here. Hurricanes have scattered the remains and covered them with sand, making them difficult, if not impossible, to discern. Amenities: lifeguards (late May–early September); parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; swimming.

Heading south from Nags Head, Pea Island's miles of undeveloped coastline kick off one of the East Coast's most scenic drives. The refuge consists of 5,834 acres of marsh on the Atlantic Flyway, plus 25,700 acres of refuge waters. To the delight of birders, more than 365 species have been sighted from its observation platforms and spotting scopes and by visitors who venture into the refuge. Pea Island is home to threatened peregrine falcons, piping plovers, and tundra swans, which winter here, and to 25 species of mammals, 24 species of reptiles, and 5 species of amphibians. A visitor center on North Carolina Highway 12 has an information display and maps of the two trails, including one named for the late broadcaster Charles Kuralt, a Tar Heel native who wrote extensively about the North Carolina coast. On the west side of North Carolina Highway 12 are more than 12 miles of pristine beach.

Remember to douse yourself in bug spray, especially in spring. Also, there's no tree coverage on trails, so plan peak-summer walks early and late in the day.