Best Beaches In North Carolina | Top 5 Must-Visit
The North Carolina coast on the Atlantic Ocean is one of the best places in the United States to visit for a beach vacation, where you can swim and enjoy soft sand. I’ve been to each of these beaches and to all of the most popular destinations in NC, which were frequent vacation spots for my family and friends growing up on the east coast. I’ve put together a round up of the top five best beaches in North Carolina after reflecting on my travels, so you can choose which is best for you. 🐚
The Outer Banks (OBX) : #1 of the best beaches in North Carolina
Without a doubt, the #1 best beaches in North Carolina is the Outer Banks. There are many beaches that make up the Outer Banks but they can definitely be lumped together.
The Outer Banks make up the most northern coast of North Carolina, impressively offering over 200 miles of sandy beaches including Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head and finally the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The Southmost beach of the Outer Banks is called the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
What makes the Outer Banks so special is its natural beauty, variety of attractions and things to do, beautiful pristine beaches, and the conditions for water sports and surfing.
There aren’t any high rises in the Outer Banks, and instead there are little inns and vacation rentals, which lead to the beaches being way less crowded than other beaches in the state, outside of a few crowded pockets.
The one thing that could make the Outer Banks not the best choice for you is if you prefer very warm ocean temperatures and a calm, flat ocean. The ocean at the Outer Banks can be really rough and chilly, which is often what makes it so beautiful. This means young kids and anyone who isn’t a strong swimmer will often have to stay at the edge of the waves & in shallow waters. Rip tides are more common than other beaches.
But hey, jumping over waves can easily be just as fun! There are always tons and tons of little kids who visit Outer Banks, so don’t let that stop you. I’ve been visiting the Outer Banks with my family annually since I was 2 or 3 years old, and we continue to choose it year after year.
If you’re visiting and worried about this factor, you can always buy some tubes for extra safety and comfort – just be careful not to mindlessly drift and stay close to shore on these. My family always bring a bunch of tubes, both singular inner tubes and bigger rafts to use together.
Make sure to get this perfect little inner tube inflator which works perfectly every time and is so convenient. The hibiscus float my sister and I are using above can be purchased at Amazon, and if you’re looking for a singular float this one by FUNBOY (an awesome tube company – my favorite) is great!
Outside of the beach, there is so much to see. You can explore the natural beauty and wildlife of the intracoastal waterway, wild horses of Corolla or secluded beaches like Okracoke Island.
For adventure seekers, the Outer Banks is a world class surfing and windsurfing destination, and its perfect for other water sports also. OBX is also a hang gliding destination, which you can try at the stunning Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
The Outer Banks are definitely the best beaches in North Carolina for backpackers & long-term travelers who are working remote, as the WIFI here is strong and you’ll find tons of little coffee shops and places to post up to work. Or, you could work from your vacation rental’s balcony overlooking the ocean. Yes please!
Lastly, there’s also a rich history to discover in the Outer Banks, which you can explore via historical sites like the Wright Brothers National Memorial or Roanoke Island to learn about the lost colony.
I wrote an entire guide on where to stay in Outer Banks, but as a quick overview, the Sanderling is the nicest Outer Banks resort, while Shutters on the Banks and the Surf Side Hotel both offer oceanfront rooms for less in a central location.
Wrightsville & Carolina Beach
Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach are the two beaches in North Carolina just outside the Wilmington area, which is why I’m lumping them together as one. It’s relatively easy to visit both in one vacation, as they are about 30 minutes apart. These two are my choices for the best beaches in North Carolina outside of the Outer Banks.
Carolina Beach
They make a great pair as they have very different vibes, kind of like Folly Beach vs Isle of Palms if you’ve ever been to the coast of South Carolina. Carolina Beach is the more artsy, eclectic beach with a rougher ocean due to the proximity to the Cape Fear River which feeds into it. This makes it a popular spot for surfers.
There are very few hotels here and vacation rentals and small, local restaurants serving fresh food dot the beach road. It’s walkable, and has better nightlife than Wrightsville – the best being live music at the Sea Witch bar every night.
Some of the nightlife crowd will be college students coming in from UNC Wilmington, but it won’t be flooded with them. I noticed lots of families out and about to dance for a little while after dinner. 🙂
While Carolina Beach is one of the best North Carolina beaches for nightlife, you can definitely consider both beaches in the small beach town category, and the nightlife usually centers around one or two bars with some live music. If you want really good nightlife, you’ll have to head down to one of the South Carolina beaches like Myrtle Beach.
I lived in Carolina Beach for about a month while working remote and it was such a magical experience. I have such great memories here collecting shells every day and biking to restaurants each night.
One thing I noticed while we were staying at Carolina Beach is that sooo many people were using these Shibumi wind-powered canopies for shade. They work best on windy beaches, and Carolina Beach is quite windy (along with most of the beaches in North Carolina).
If you’re looking for convenience over a lengthy set up once you get to the beach, these things work GREAT! You can buy the Shibumi here.
The two best value hotels at Carolina Beach are the Hampton Inn and Suites oceanfront or the Courtyard Carolina Beach oceanfront. You can’t go wrong at either of these!
Wrightsville Beach
Wrightsville Beach on the other hand has clear water and calmer waves. It’s just more beautiful and groomed overall when it comes to the beach itself. There are many more hotels in Wrightsville and not as many restaurants and nightlife, and it has more of an upscale atmosphere.
Having easy access to the small city of Wilmington makes it easier to fly into these beaches, and also gives you plenty to do during a rainy vacation day.
The two best places to stay outside of vacation home rentals in Wrightsville Beach are the Trailborn Surf & Sound beach resort and the Holiday Inn Lumina oceanfront resort.
Just down the beach from Carolina Beach is Kure Beach, where you’ll find the country’s oldest fishing pier and lots and lots of beautiful vacation houses to rent.
Topsail Beach : Most underrated of the best beaches in North Carolina
Topsail is somewhat of a hidden gem when it comes to the best beaches in North Carolina, but it’s growing slowly and rounding out to be one of the best destinations in the state.
What you’ll find is the perfect mix between absolutely beautiful beaches where you’ll have plenty of space to spread out, and anything you need within easy reach.
The ocean is much calmer here than in the Outer Banks, and also very warm. When I visited, the water was so warm that I thought I was in South Carolina lol! Think bath water, which makes Topsail a great beach to visit during the shoulder seasons as well.
I have it on my bucket list to do a trip down during Thanksgiving time one year! Bring some tubes to sprawl out on in the ocean. It doesn’t get more perfect!☀️
There are lots of beachy restaurants in Topsail, most of which are concentrated around the bridge onto Topsail Island. The Turtle Hospital is a must-see for wildlife lovers. Make sure to check their website to see if your visit overlaps with one of their adorable baby turtle releases!
The Saltwater Resort is the best option for places to stay in Topsail as its a beautiful boutique hotel right off the beach.
Atlantic Beach
Atlantis Beach is one of the beaches along the Crystal Coast within an easy drive of Morehead City, known for having calmer waters as compared to Outer Banks.
The same goes for the next beach over, Pine Knoll Shores. This makes it the perfect spot for families with kids or anyone who prefers calmer and warmer ocean waves.
Here you’ll have plenty of hotel options, or vacation rentals if you prefer. The Atlantic Beach boardwalk isn’t really what I would think of as a boardwalk as it’s super tiny but it has some shops and eateries, plus a playground and volleyball courts.
A little down the road there’s Atlantic Beach Town Park with lots of family fun like a mini golf course, splash pad and skate park. Atlantic Beach has lots of restaurant and bar options, more than you’ll find in Emerald Isle.
There’s also a Lost Treasure Mini Golf & Golf Carts here. If you’ve ever been to one of their locations, you know this place is a blast for families. My family and I have been going to the Outer Banks locations for over 15 years.
Fort Macon State Park is home to a very well preserved 19th-century Civil War fort with reenactments and recreation. It’s a stunning park and one of the most frequently visited state park in NC. That’s saying something because there are so many parks in this beautiful state!
When it comes to places to stay in Atlantic Beach, the DoubleTree Oceanfront has everything you could want including an oceanfront outdoor pool, indoor pools, an on-site restaurant and bar, plus beautiful oceanfront rooms. The Crystal Coast Inn is another excellent choice if you’re okay being a little down the beach.
Emerald Isle
Emerald Isle is the other beach on my list part of the Crystal Coast just south of Atlantic Beach, so you can expect a relatively calm, clear ocean.
You can also expect fewer high rises and more vacation rentals here. Because of these reasons, Emerald Isle is one of the best beaches in North Carolina if not #1 for families with toddlers.
Emerald Isle is a bit more spread out as compared to Atlantic Beach with a bit less to do, which makes it one of the quieter beach options on this list. There are still plenty of beachy restaurants to check out, some with live music during the summer season.
P.S. If you need some more activities to bring to the beach, I highly recommend this beach corn hole set. My family uses it every time we visit the beach and it’s always a hit. I love how easy it is to set up and how the boards are as big as normal corn hole boards.
The Islander Resort is the best place to stay here when it comes to hotels, with its big pool and suite-style rooms just off the beach.
Beaches In North Carolina Map
I’ve also created a map of all the beaches in North Carolina, which includes of course the top five I talked about above. This map also includes live cameras, so you can see what it actually looks like on some of these beaches. 🌊
Link to my beaches in North Carolina map
Now that you know all about the best beaches in North Carolina, perhaps you want to learn more about the most popular destinations in NC off the coast? If so, I’ve lived in both Charlotte and Asheville temporarily and have lots of blog posts for you to explore below.
OR if you’re a beach person like me, I have lots of best beaches guides for other great destinations throughout the US you can read below. Enjoy your travels!
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Lauren Kessel
Lauren Kessel is the author of this blog post and the creator of the Inspired Backpacker travel blog. She is a passionate digital nomad, with the mission to make slow travel a more accessible way of life for everyone. Lauren believes travel is an important means of education and more importantly, a way for people of different cultures to come together and understand each other better. She has a BS in Tourism and has planned countless domestic and international trips for herself, her family and friends, having visited over 12 countries and 30 states so far.
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