North Carolina’s most visited state park is a wild experience. So much so, it’s been described as like something from another world… or at least another continent. If you’ve yet to discover the unique living sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, then prepare for an otherworldly experience everyone in the family will treasure.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park is located in Nags Head and is like no other place on the east coast.
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Home to the largest living sand dune in the eastern United States, the park boasts 427 acres of sandy vistas to explore.
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And explore they do! Tourists from around the world as well as natives and locals alike love to adventure through this unique park to discover the various ecosystems that exist in this sandy wilderness.
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From the dunes all the way to the Roanoke Sound, designated trails offer those who don’t wish to go off-grid a way to explore the expansive park in a somewhat organized fashion.
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But many visitors choose to simply go their own way.
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The 0.6-mile Sound Side Nature Trail doles out a trek through a trail carved into a maritime shrub thicket, and some much needed shade during the warmer months.
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Jockeys’s Ridge State Park opened in 1975 and is open only for day use. Closing times vary by season, but the park opens daily at 8 a.m.
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Access to the park is gained from Milepost 12 on the S. Croatan Highway/US 158 in Nags Head.
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Jockey’s Ridge State Park is open year-round and admission is free. Other activities found at the park include picnicking, a park store, and – for those who have a USHPA Hang 1 or other agency-approved rating card – hang gliding from the park’s dunes! For those who aren’t experienced, hang gliding lessons are usually offered by a private vendor located near the entrance to the park.
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Google Local/Harold Cooper
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Google Local/Kristine Kellenberger
Photo: Cavan Images / Cavan Collection via Getty Images
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For more information about Jockey’s Ridge State Park, see the official website of North Carolina Parks.
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Address: 300 W Carolista Dr, Nags Head, NC 27959, USA
