The beaches of North Carolina are where England first attempted to colonize the Americas, with disastrous results for the 'Lost Colony'.
Famous Pirates like Blackbeard ruled the
jagged coast in daring raids on merchant ships. During
the Civil War, confederate blockade runners challenged
the Union Blockades to deliver goods from England and
The Wright Brothers defied gravity from a sandy dune not far from the windswept beach and brought mankind into the aviation age.
Determined to protect this fragile coastal
environment, the U.S. Government set aside much of these
islands and beaches as the nations's first National
But North Carolina Beaches are much more than a living lesson in history and ecology. These sandy barrier islands are a special place where time seems to slow. Where breathtaking beauty envelops the spirit and sets it soaring, luring visitors back year after year.