North Carolina's Outer Banks — a 200-mile ribbon of barrier islands where the Wright Brothers first flew, Blackbeard met his end, and four historic lighthouses still warn ships away from the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." The drive south from Kitty Hawk to Ocracoke threads through wild dunes, marshland, and villages that feel like the mainland forgot them. More than 5,000 shipwrecks lie offshore.

Stops on This Tour (9)

1. 1
   Wright Brothers National Memorial Kill Devil Hills — where Orville and Wilbur made four flights on December 17, 1903; the longest lasted 59 seconds 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app
2. 2
   Jockey's Ridge State Park The tallest active sand dune system on the East Coast at 80 feet — Nags Head's signature landmark and a hang-gliding ... 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app
3. 3
   Bodie Island Lighthouse Black-and-white horizontal stripes mark this 1872 lighthouse — 214 steps to the top for views across Pamlico Sound to... 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app
4. 4
   Oregon Inlet (Basnight Bridge) The turbulent inlet separating Bodie and Hatteras Islands — the bridge crossing offers views of the Atlantic and Paml... 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app
5. 5
   Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge 13 miles of protected barrier island habitat — 365 bird species recorded, including snow geese by the thousand in winter 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app
6. 6
   Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Rodanthe's 1874 rescue station — the surfmen who launched boats into hurricanes to save shipwrecked sailors were the ... 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app
7. 7
   Cape Hatteras Lighthouse America's tallest brick lighthouse at 198 feet — famously moved 2,900 feet inland in 1999 to save it from the advanci... 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app
8. 8
   Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry Landing Free state ferry across Hatteras Inlet — a 40-minute crossing with dolphin sightings and views of the shifting shoals 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app
9. 9
   Ocracoke Lighthouse The oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina (1823) — 75 feet of whitewashed brick in the heart of Ocracoke Village 🔒 Hear the full story in the Nara app

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