The 15 Best Beaches in North Carolina

Discover the state’s top coastal stretches, from Duck to Sunset Beach.

Take your pick of pristine sandy stretches on quiet barrier islands or lively beach towns.

Cape Lookout National Seashore

Cape Lookout National Seashoreoffers 56 miles of beach across several barrier islands.

Best Beaches in North Carolina

Credit: John Greim/LightRocket/Getty Images

Shackleford Banks, for one, is ideal for swimming and lounging on the beach.

It’s also home to more than 100 wild horses.

The diamond-painted Cape Lookout Lighthouse is a star along this coast, too, standing 163 feet high.

Aerial view of Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Keepers' Quarters Museum, National Park Service offices, gift shop and dock with Barden’s Inlet, Shackleford Banks and Harker’s Island in the distance and green foliage along the shoreline.

Courtesy of VisitNC.com

Many are close to hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops.

Spend your days lounging on 16 miles of white-sand beaches or fishing, kayaking, sailing, and surfing.

The gentle waves at South Beach attract families, while East Beach has bigger swells.

Side view of row of colorful beach houses in Nags Head. Pink house beginning the row, navy house last in row. Sand and Beach to left. Pier in background. People in pool at pink house.

Courtesy of VisitNC.com

Beaches are uncrowded and sea turtles nest along the shores in late summer and fall.

From mid-May through September, loggerhead sea turtles come ashore to nest along Topsail’s coast.

Enjoy the area’s fishing piers, marina, and water sports.

The Waterfront Shops in Duck at dusk with lights on at shops. Reflections of lights on the water and blue sky.

Courtesy of VisitNC.com

Tours are available year-round, though children under nine are not allowed to climb the tower.

you’re free to also learn about local wildlife and see fossils at theOak Island Nature Center.

Spend your time here exploring the dunes and marshland or kayaking around Currituck Sound.

Morning light on the beach in Carolina Beach. Photographed from the Carolina Beach Boardwalk in early morning. Carolina Beach runs along the Cape Fear River. See usage rights below.