Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That would be the Wilmington area, about 2 1/2 hours from Cary. Wrightsville and Carolina Beach are right next door.
Wilmington is cetainly coastal and just over 2 hrs from Cary, but it's not part of the Outer Banks. Mike J. is right....closest area in the Outer Banks is Nags Head, about a 4 hour drive. From there, you can head in either direction. North route will take you to Kill Devil Hills, Southern Shores, Duck, Corolla and Corova. Southern route to Rodanthe, Frisco, Hatteras and Ocrakoke.
Morehead City and Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle et al are a close drive, not far from the Raleigh area, straight down U.S. 70, and.... the stop at Neuse River Sports Shop is a good place to pick up all sorts of fishing tackle, bait, et al, at less than coastline prices (as well as fishing licenses, if ya need them). The draw in this area is fishing, but, it also has miles and miles of mostly deserted beachline, a great place for a leisurely walk and most of the time you can bring your dog and let them share in the enjoyment of the Atlantic coastline.
'Morehead City and Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle et al are a close drive, not far from the Raleigh area, straight down U.S. 70...'
Are the above places good for collecting sea shells too? I have seen some beaches where there are very few sea shells. Its not a big deal for adults but kids love them.
Are you using the term "Outer Banks" to mean any beach? The Outer Banks is a very specific area of NC beaches, which as several have stated are approximately 4 hours away.
The southern beaches, including the Wilmington area beaches and the Crystal Coast (Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle) are all very nice but aren't technically part of the Outer Banks. They also don't have a lot of shells, because they are very popular and pretty picked over. You'll get better shells if you go somewhere a little harder to get to, like driving to Harker's Island or Beaufort and taking a boat to Cape Lookout (only accessible by boat).
Also, you'll get much better firsthand info about the various beaches ("Outer Banks" and others) by posting your questions on the Coastal NC forum, not this one.
You can usually find a ton of shells on Shackleford Island. Just head for Atlantic City/Beaufort...catch a ferry out of Beaufort. There is a photo of some shells on this page:
You can also find quite a few on the north end of Wrightsville, but you have to be there are the right time of day.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
