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North Carolina Coastal Guide

Travel, Local Seafood & Recreation

Coastal Activities & Recreation in North Carolina

Foodies

Select from 160 N.C. seafood recipes in the Mariner’s Menu cookbook

Tour shellfish farms on the NC Oyster Trail and eat local

Get to know in-season seafood

Water Lovers

Dive into water sports, paddle trails, and boat access points

Learn how to spot and escape rip currents

Understand shark behavior, the low reality of shark bites, and how to safely share the water

Historians

Visit registered NC Historic Sites

Tour lighthouses, battle grounds, and cultural centers

Check out the homes of pirates

Read up on coastal history

Fishers

Get your fishing license and read up on responsible practices

Explore inshore and offshore fishing and a pier directory

Keep oceans clean by recycling fishing line

Read new fisheries research tailored for anglers

Nature Enthusiasts

Read coastal science in Coastwatch magazine

See iconic wild horses, visit coastal ecosystems, and go bird watching

Identify species with iNaturalist

Hike the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and learn about coastal NC plants

Weather Watchers

Stay current with NOAA’s coastal NC weather dashboard

View live beach cams and hurricane resources

Visit the Hatteras U.S. Weather Bureau Station and the NC Maritime Museum

Ride N.C. ferries and learn about transportation after severe weather

Start adventuring with our map of top destinations.

Beautiful natural spaces, historical sites, museums,
and festivals to remember when you visit the coast.

Launch map

Coast for Kids

Summer memories starting now!

North Carolina’s coasts offer rich experiences for children to learn and explore.

Learn more

Get coastal science lesson plans for teens

Learn to draw marine animals, and dive into worksheets and picture books online with the NC Aquariums

Go tidepooling

Beach Reads

Check out our book recommendations! These are some of our favorite nonfiction reads to learn the ecology, culture, and history of North Carolina’s coast.

White towel with thin navy stripes and wider navy border on sand with an open book's pages moving in wind: from overhead perspective

Get the list

The Fish Factory: Work and Meaning for Black and White Fisherman of the American Menhaden Industry by Barbara Jean Garrity (Coastwatch article)

Sharks, Skates, and Rays of the Carolinas by Frank J. Schwartz (Coastwatch article)

The Secret World of Red Wolves: The Fight to Save North America’s Other Wolf by T. DeLene Beeland (Coastwatch review)

Into the Sound Country: A Carolinian’s Coastal Plain by Bland Simpson (Coastwatch article)

The Estuary’s Gift: An Atlantic Coast Cultural Biography by David Griffith (Coastwatch review)

Living at the Water’s Edge: A Heritage Guide to the Outer Banks Byway by Barbara Garrity-Blake and Karen Willis Amspacher (Coastwatch interview)

The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle by by Malinda Maynor Lowery (Coastwatch excerpt)

Lessons from the Sand: Family-Friendly Science Activities You Can Do on a Carolina Beach by Charles O. Pilkey and Orrin H. Pilkey (Coastwatch author feature)

Escaping Nature: How to Survive Global Climate Change by Charles O. Pilkey and Orrin H. Pilkey (Coastwatch author feature)

The Last Butterflies: A Scientist’s Quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature by Nick Haddad (Coastwatch coverage)

Saltbox Seafood Joint Cookbook (Second Edition) by Ricky Moore (Coastwatch coverage of 1st edition – 2nd edition publishes Sept. 2026)

North Carolina’s Amazing Coast: Natural Wonders from Alligators to Zoeas by David Bryant, et al. (Coastwatch article)

Seashells of North Carolina by NC Sea Grant, edited by Katie Mosher (Coastwatch excerpt)

Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas: A New Guide for Plant Identification and Use in the Coastal Landscape by Paul E. Hosier (Coastwatch article)

On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Justice by Ryan Emanuel

Hoi Tode on the Outer Banks: The Story of the Ocracoke Brogue by Walt Wofram and Natalie Schilling

Pirates, Privateers, and Rebel Raiders of the Carolina Coast by Lindley S. Butler