Outer Banks Hiking Trails & Boardwalks: Maritime Forests, Refuges & Short Walks (Map)

The best Outer Banks nature trails hide in plain sight. Everyone knows the beaches. Almost nobody arrives knowing the Outer Banks holds three genuine maritime forests — in Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, and Buxton — plus a chain of boardwalks and refuge trails running the whole length of the islands. (Looking for the paved bike paths? They have their own map.) The terrain is gloriously flat, the shade is real, and nearly all of it is free.

Every trailhead below is pinned on the map. Two universals before you lace up: bug spray in the warm months (the forests mean it), and dawn-to-dusk hours at the preserves — a sunset finish is a right-at-closing finish.

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The three maritime forests

Nags Head Woods is the flagship — 1,400+ acres of forested dunes and freshwater ponds, a National Natural Landmark since 1974, with over 150 bird species recorded. Start with the accessible half-mile loop or the easy Center Trail; graduate to the Sweetgum Swamp and Blueberry Ridge trails — the preserve’s trails run from a few hundred feet to about 3 miles. Trails are foot-only (bikes and cars share the old sand road through the preserve instead), and leashed dogs are welcome on the pet-friendly trails (the ADA, Discovery and Roanoke trails). Kitty Hawk Woods is the family one: 1,800+ acres whose gateway is Sandy Run Park — the raised half-mile lake loop with the turtles, the playground, and the covered bridge on the multi-use trail. Buxton Woods, the largest forest on the banks, hides in plain sight behind the lighthouse: the 3/4-mile loop starts at the picnic area, and the 4.5-mile Open Ponds Trail carries a stretch of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail to the island’s high ground.

Boardwalks, refuges, and short wonders

At the literal end of the pavement north of Corolla, the Currituck Banks Reserve boardwalk runs through the forest to the sound — about ten minutes each way, or an hour if you add the maritime forest loop, and wild horses sometimes cross the trail. Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary between Corolla and Duck offers the old-road walk to the marsh. Duck’s soundside boardwalk earns its own page. On Roanoke Island, Fort Raleigh’s Thomas Hariot loop and Freedom Trail put four centuries of history under the live oaks, and the boardwalk behind the Sarah Owens Welcome Center is the pleasant surprise nobody plans. Bodie Island’s boardwalk delivers the marsh-side lighthouse photo. Pea Island’s flat refuge trails hold thousands of birds in season — accepting that wind-blown sand drifts over the walkways. And Springer’s Point on Ocracoke remains the best short walk on the islands, through ancient live oaks to Blackbeard’s anchorage. On the mainland, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge’s Creef Cut and Sandy Ridge boardwalks are wheelchair-accessible too — and come with a real shot at spotting black bears.

Trail lengths at a glance

Trail	Where	Length	Notes
Currituck Banks Reserve boardwalk	Corolla, end of NC 12	About 1/3 mile to the sound	Boardwalk, wheels OK; horses cross it
Sandy Run Park loop	Kitty Hawk Woods	About 1/2 mile	Raised walkway, turtles, playground
Nags Head Woods trails	Kill Devil Hills	A few hundred feet to about 3 miles	ADA loop; dogs on ADA, Discovery and Roanoke trails only; no bikes on trails
Tracks in the Sand	Jockey’s Ridge State Park	1.2-mile loop	Soft sand, no shade — go early
Soundside Nature Trail	Jockey’s Ridge State Park	0.6-mile loop	Easy, sunset side of the park
Thomas Hariot & Freedom trails	Fort Raleigh, Roanoke Island	Short loops under live oaks	Four centuries of history; free
Bodie Island boardwalk	Bodie Island Lighthouse	0.4 mile out and back	Accessible; the marsh-side lighthouse photo
Bodie Island Baseline / Off-Island trails	Bodie Island	0.75 / 0.5 mile out and back	Quiet, birdy, soft underfoot
Pea Island refuge trails	Pea Island NWR	Flat half-mile walks	Thousands of birds in season; sand drifts the walkways
Salvo Woods Trail	Salvo	0.4 or 0.75 mile round trip	Maritime thicket behind the village
Buxton Woods Trail	Buxton, behind the lighthouse	0.75-mile loop	Boardwalk sections; picnic-area start
Open Ponds Trail	Buxton to Frisco	4.5 miles one way	Mountains-to-Sea Trail segment; bikes OK
Hammock Hills Trail	Ocracoke	0.75-mile loop	Forest to salt marsh, across from the campground
Springer’s Point	Ocracoke village	Short walk to the sound	Ancient live oaks to Blackbeard’s anchorage; foot only
Creef Cut & Sandy Ridge boardwalks	Alligator River NWR, mainland	About 1/2 mile each	Wheelchair-accessible; black-bear country

Travelling with a dog? Leash lengths, closed trails and the beach rules change town by town — the things to do with your dog on the Outer Banks guide covers the trails, and the dog beach rules by town cover the sand.

Want to ride instead?

The paved paths — Corolla, the Duck Trail, Kill Devil Hills’ First Flight and Bay Drive paths, the Nags Head path, Manteo, the Hatteras villages and Ocracoke — are mapped town by town, with the road-shoulder gaps marked, on our Outer Banks bike paths page.

FAQ

Related OBX Guides

• Outer Banks Sunset Spots — the evening side of the islands.
• Outer Banks Sunrise & Sunset Times — live times for every town.
• Outer Banks Lighthouses — climb one after the trail.
• Pet-Friendly Travel — bringing the dog along.
• Things to Do in the Outer Banks — plan the rest of the day.