10 Best Beaches in North Carolina: Best Beaches for All Occasions

North Carolina beaches are among the best on the east coast, attracting visitors from all over the world. From quaint beach towns to barrier islands and wild horses, the beauty and variety of coastline will keep you coming back time and time again. Even NC locals, like me, are astounded at the best beaches in North Carolina and want to keep exploring more and more of them. So what makes them so special?

With over 3,375 miles of coastline (only 320 miles are truly oceanfront due to the many barrier islands), North Carolina boasts the seventh longest coastline in the United States. It’s also home to more than 100 species of sea, marsh, and shorebirds.

This helps make the NC coast a premier vacation destination with over 12 million visitors visiting the North Carolina coast each year! If you’re considering a vacation to a North Carolina beach, you’ll want to do some research to find the right one. After all, with such variety in the state, each beach offers a slightly different vibe.

If you’re looking for the best beaches in North Carolina for families it will be very different than the best beaches in North Carolina for couples. This is based on the available activities and overall atmosphere. Let’s dive into the best beaches in NC!

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase.

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Map of the Best Beaches in North Carolina

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With such an extensive coast, where you want to go may be based on distance and travel time from your origin. As such, take a look at the map and click on the markers to find the top NC beaches in the area you’re most interested in.

Fortunately, whether you’re headed to the northern beaches in the Outer Banks or south to some of the beaches closest to Raleigh and Charlotte, you’ll still be surprised at how soft the sand is and how clear the water is.

There’s a reason that people opt to come to North Carolina beaches rather than heading further south to Florida! Check out what your best options are on the map and then read on to learn more about each of these lovely NC beaches and the main draws for them.

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Emerald Isle

The Prettiest Beach in North Carolina

Well known for its 12 miles of beautiful beaches, Emerald Isle is part of the Crystal Coast and the overall best beach in North Carolina. Located on Bogue Banks Island, Emerald Isle offers a laid back beach area with broad stretches of sand, plenty of beach amenities, and crystal clear water.

From grills to picnic areas, showers, volleyball courts, and of course public parking, this beach offers everything you need for a day or a full week at the beach. Go fishing off the Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier. Try jet skiing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and more at AB Watersports. Explore nature trails and biking trails in the area. Continue exploring nearby at the uninhabited Bear Island for Hammock Beach State Park.

Make the most of your time in Emerald Isle by eating at some of the best beachside restaurants in NC. Grab a craft beer at The Growler Bar. Select from a wide selection of hotels and vacation rentals in the area. Visiting in the off season? You can even drive on this NC beach.

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Carolina Beach

The Best Beach in North Carolina for Families

Carolina Beach is best known for its boardwalk, which makes it the perfect beach for families in NC. This pedestrian-only walkway offers lots of shops, restaurants, and even an amusement park. You’ll find good old-fashioned fun with a lively atmosphere that you can’t miss. Spend your time exploring this oceanfront area, or head down to the beach to enjoy your time in the sand and surf.

Grab a donut at the fabulous Britt’s Donut Shop along the boardwalk. Dive into a seafood feast at the Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, named one of the “Best Seafood Dives in America” by Coastal Living Magazine. Visit the beachfront SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar for live entertainment and oceanfront drinks.

There’s plenty to keep you busy whether you’re visiting alone or looking for a kid-friendly beach in NC. You can also check out Carolina Beach State Park to explore white-sand trails and an overlook of the Cape Fear River. Stroll the Carolina Beach Pier. Go fishing on the shore. Make the most of your family vacation in North Carolina at Carolina Beach!

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Wrightsville Beach

The Best Beach in North Carolina for Young Adults

One of the best known beaches in North Carolina is Wrightsville Beach. This is partially because of its location close to the beautiful town of Wilmington, also home to University of North Carolina Wilmington. This brings college students and other young adults out and about in droves making it one of the best beaches for partiers in North Carolina.

The biggest challenge visiting Wrightsville will be finding parking at one of the 40 beach access points. Fortunately, once you’re parked, you don’t have to go far. There are plenty of public bathrooms available at the beach and you can walk to shops and restaurants to easily grab lunch or a cold drink.

You’ll also find plenty of activities in Wrightsville to keep you busy while at the beach. Choose to kayak, surf, or scuba dive. As the sun starts to go down, take a sunset sailing tour or hit up the many bars and restaurants for food, drink, and live music. There are many waterfront bars and restaurants available – my personal favorites are Dockside for drinks and Bluewater Grill for dinner.

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Topsail Beach

The Best Beach for Sunsets in North Carolina

While it might look like you pronounce it “Top-sail”, you’ll receive strange looks from locals as it’s actually pronounced “Tops’l”. Get in touch with that southern accent!

Topsail Island is 26 miles long and home to three popular North Carolina beaches: Topsail Beach, North Topsail Beach, and Surf City Beach. These are often used interchangeably as there are only two access points to the island – a high rise bridge in the North and a swing bridge near Surf City.

Whichever beach area on Topsail you opt to go to, you’ll find plenty of beach access points with almost 100 beach accesses spread over the island. This helps keep any one part of the beach from becoming overcrowded – just one reason to choose Topsail over more populated beaches!

While you’re on Topsail, you’ll want to spend time exploring Jolly Roger Pier, Soundside Park, the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Kenneth D. Batts Family Park, and Surf City Ocean Pier. Not to mention there are dozens of fabulous oceanfront restaurants and bars to visit.

However, what really makes Topsail stand out, besides of course the glistening white sand and sparkling clear water, are the sunsets. For prime viewing, head to the southernmost tip of the island at Serenity Point.

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Duck

The Best Beach for Couples in North Carolina

My favorite beach in the NC Outer Banks is Duck. It’s the perfect getaway for couples as it offers no public beaches. This means to experience the Duck beaches you’ll have to stay overnight in one of the many rental properties or couple of hotels in the area, like the amazing Sanderling Resort – the perfect romantic getaway in NC.

This helps keep the town and beach a bit quieter and a perfect destination for those looking for a week or weekend at the beach in North Carolina. You can even bring your favorite furry family member as the beaches in Duck are expansive and dog friendly year round.

Additionally, the town of Duck is quaint featuring a mile-long wooden boardwalk over the sound. This boardwalk offers delicious restaurants and bars, endless shopping opportunities, and beautiful sunsets. Best of all, you park once (for free!) – or walk from your accommodation – and everything else is within walking distance!

To make the most of this awesome beach in the Outer Banks, plan for a laid back vacation. Grab breakfast at Treehouse Coffee Co. Try their biscuits – they’re amazing! Spend all day on the beach. Walk the boardwalk at sunset before settling down for a drink at one of the many waterfront restaurants.

Aqua Restaurant serves up some mean martinis, while the Blue Point is a bit more laid back with outdoor Adirondack chairs looking out over the water, or try out Coastal Cantina for pitchers of beer and casual Mexican food!

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Read more about the best things to do in the Outer Banks.

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Oak Island

The Best Dog Friendly Beach in North Carolina

If you’re looking to bring your furry friend to the beach, Oak Island is your best bet. Separated from mainland NC by the Intracoastal Waterway, you can drive over to this classic North Carolina vacation spot by one of the two bridges that connects it to the mainland.

Oak Island is the most pet-friendly beach in NC allowing leashed dogs on the beach year round and off leash dogs in certain locations marked by beach access signs from October 15 – March 15 from 6am – 8pm. You’ll also find a number of pet-friendly accommodations and restaurants in the area making traveling with your pet simple!

Even for those not bringing their pets, it’s a great NC beach offering expansive stretches of sand and a family friendly atmosphere with 65 public beach access points.

While you’re there, take a trip to Oak Island Beach at the southern tip of North Carolina. It’s 12 miles long and pet friendly. Or, visit Long Beach or Caswell Beach. They’re equally popular.

For amazing fishing, visit the Oak Island Pier or Ocean Crest Pier on the Atlantic side of the island. Stop by the marina or public boat and kayak ramps to launch your day of watersports. There are endless options to enjoy Oak Island.

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Hatteras Island

The Most Famous Beach in North Carolina

Located at the southern tip of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Hatteras Island is beautiful and mostly deserted making it a perfect destination. You’ll find long expanses of beach from the Oregon Inlet to the Hatteras Inlet. This all falls under the management of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which does mean National Park Service rules apply.

This means you are allowed to take pets on a 6′ long leash on the beach year round, allowed to drink both beer and wine on the beach, and allowed to have beach bonfires on this North Carolina Beach. (You will have to get a National Park Service permit for a bonfire!). You’ll also find parts of the beach are 4×4 friendly!

Spend your time relaxing on the beach, surfing, fishing in the surf (you’ll need a saltwater fishing license), exploring on a Cape Hatteras Kayak Adventure, checking out the local lighthouse, or taking the ferry over to Ocracoke Island. You won’t get bored on this beautiful stretch of sand!

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Southport

The Best Beach in North Carolina for Movie Lovers

A quick 12-mile drive from Oak Island will land you in Southport, a charming coastal town where the Cape Fear River meets the Atlantic Ocean. This North Carolina beach town was named “America’s Happiest Seaside Town” by Coastal Living Magazine and “Best Coastal Small Towns” by USA Today. As you walk around the town and beaches, you’ll understand why.

You’ll find tons of boutiques, local art galleries, and lots of local seafood restaurants in Southport. Not to mention picturesque historic homes, waterfront views, and Spanish moss trees that line the streets making it a beautiful place to visit.

Head to nearby Caswell Beach to get your beach fill, but don’t miss out on what makes this land on the list of best beaches in North Carolina… it’s seaside location and it’s famous movie locations! Southport is most famous for being the filming location for multiple popular movies, including “A Walk to Remember”, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, “The Secret Life of Bees”, and “Safe Haven”.

It’s also been the set of many television shows, most notably “Dawson’s Creek”. Walk around town and see the filming locations, or join a tour that takes you to the most popular spots. Once you have had your fill, head to the beach to enjoy a stunning sunset!

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Bald Head Island

The Best Quiet Beach in North Carolina

One of the few NC beaches that is only accessible via ferry, Bald Head Island is less crowded and best for getting in some rest and relaxation. In fact, most of the 12,000 acres of Bald Head Island are wild beach, marsh, and maritime forest preserves, and it’s nationally recognized for its sea turtle nesting.

Bald Head Island is not built up like you’ll find along much of the North Carolina coast. This means you’ll find beautiful beaches full of wildlife. In fact, it offers 14 miles of shoreline spanning from North Beach to South Beach.

To get around the island, you’ll have to rent a bike or golf cart. From there, you can stroll the beaches or the nature walks, try surfing or paddle boarding, or even enjoy a kayak or canoe ride through the waterways of Bald Head Island. If golfing is your thing, head to the Bald Head Island Club’s championship golf course and give it a go.

You’ll also want to explore the rich history of Bald Head Island. It once served as the home to a British fort and hospital during the Revolutionary war, and it is home to the oldest standing lighthouse in North Carolina, Old Baldy, which is no longer in service. If you’re staying overnight, plan to take a Ghost Walk to explore a different part of the island’s history.

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Currituck Beach & Corolla

The Best Beach to See Wild Horses in North Carolina

Made famous for the wild horses on the beach, Currituck Beach in Corolla is one of the best beaches in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. This beautiful beach is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Currituck Sound and can only be reached by boat or 4WD vehicle. This keeps it quiet and peaceful year round!

Choose to rent a house up in the sand dunes of Currituck Beach, or stay a little further south in Corolla, which can be reached by car and offers hotels.

Then head out to check out the lighthouses and historic area of Corolla. Book a wild horse tour to go find the wild Spanish Mustang horses that freely roam in Currituck Beach. Try your hand at kayaking around the Currituck Sound.

It’s worth noting that in the summer if you are not staying in the 4WD area of Currituck, you will need to purchase a weekly beach parking permit online and pick it up at the Corolla Visitors Center. This will allow you to enjoy the northernmost beaches of the Outer Banks where the wild mustangs roam!

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Learn how to find the wild horses in Corolla.

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Learn More about North Carolina

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From the beautiful beaches in North Carolina to the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains, you’ll find a bit of everything in this diverse state. If you’re planning to visit the NC beaches, head further west to check out some of the top cities in North Carolina and the mountains.

The Beaches of North Carolina

Learn more about the best beaches in North Carolina by reading the following posts.

• How to See Wild Horses in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
• 10 Fun Things to Do in the Outer Banks for a Perfect Vacation
• The Best Hotels in the Outer Banks, NC
• Everything You Need to Know about Visiting Jockey’s Ridge State Park

The Mountains of North Carolina

Check out the west side of North Carolina by heading to the mountains to explore everything it has to offer.

• Raleigh to Asheville Road Trip: See the Best of North Carolina
• How to Spend One Perfect Weekend in Asheville, North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina – My Home Sweet Home!

The capital of North Carolina, Raleigh, is a fabulous city and one I call home. Stop by to check out the deep history, delicious food, and amazing museums.

• How to Spend an Epic Weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina
• 20 Amazing Things to Do in Downtown Raleigh, NC
• Where to Stay in Raleigh, North Carolina: Top Areas and Hotels (from a local!)
• Best Restaurants in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina
• The 10 Best Bars in Downtown Raleigh, NC

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