Jockey’s Ridge State Park is one of the most unique state parks around. Easy to access amenities and a truly unforgettable experience make this a must see. A visit here is a great way to break up the monotony of a long beach trip without breaking the bank.
Across the Street from History
Jockey’s Ridge State Park is located in Nags Head on the Outer Banks. This is just down the street the the Wright Brother’s National Memorial. The park is on Bodie Island along with many other great Outer Banks attractions. A visit here is best paired with a trip to the beaches across the street or anywhere in the area.
Parking at the park was not a issue when we came in May. I can see how the parking area could fill up in peak season so be sure to come earlier rather than later. The park was also still finishing up renovations on the park headquarters when we arrived. One item they are installing is EV chargers. The improved amenities will surely draw more people after they finish.
The Dune!
Jockey’s Ridge is the tallest living sand dune on the Atlantic coast. I did not really know what that meant before coming here and the pictures will never do it justice. I have seen hundreds of sand dunes all over NC beaches but never understood how big some could be. Having hiked plenty of mountain trails in Western NC so I was expecting a mountain near the sea. I am happy that I was wrong.
Because the sands on the dune field move feely, the topography of the park changes over time. At the Wright Brother National Memorial they originally had a similarly large dune that looked like Jockey’s ridge before they built the monument on top of it. The hill had to be “stabilized” before building the memorial which involved replacing much of the sand with dirt and planting grass. I can only imagine the public outcry that would happen if that was proposed today.
Nags Head had a bunch of large dunes just like Jockey’s ridge before is was developed. Jockey’s ridge is actually a relatively young park. The advocacy of a few determined individuals in the 1970’s saved the dune field you see today from becoming yet another beach community.
You can easily get a quick look of the dune and some of the extremes of the park if you go to the lookout. This a short inclined boardwalk that takes only a few minutes. It puts you on an overlook platform with a view of the top of the dune. The short walk is very worth the time. There is a set of stairs down to the trails if you want to go farther. We ended up going for a quick hike after getting to this part.
Hiking
Unlike most parks, Jockey’s Ridge has very little vegetation around the trails. This makes for unique trails. In fact, you might argue the trails a suggestions here. The dune is entirely open for your exploration and largely encouraged for you to go wherever you want. The trail markers that exist are posts driven into the ground. We were a little too ambitious and walked right up a steep part of a hill what was much taller than we thought. I recommend pacing yourself if you go off trail (unlike us).
The views you get from the high areas are something else entirely. You can see the sound and the ocean from the high points. Again, not a mountain but this part of the state is both very flat and low elevation. The high point is roughly 100 ft elevation. You would need to drive another 150 miles to Wilson NC to get to the same elevation again.
The trails here actually make up the end/start point of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail of NC. This is a network of trails, road, etc. that you can hike from Clingman’s Dome to… HERE. At over 1100 miles, it is an intense journey.
Sun bathers are common through out the park and the sound side parking area has a designated swimming area and windsurfing area. We did not see any of this due to the weather but look forward to coming back to see it. On your way back to the car, they do have showers to rinse off the sand with.
If you have some mobility requirements, the park website mentions the following.
By calling ahead a minimum of 24 hours in advance, visitors with mobility restrictions can request a ride between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in our all-terrain-vehicle to the top of the dunes. Rides will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes and availability will depend on weather and staff availability.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park Website
Learn to Glide
Because of the high relative elevation and proximity to the ocean, Jockey’s Ridge is very windy. As a result, a key attraction of the park is the Kitty Hawk Kites Hang Gliding School. The hang gliding school and kite shop is in a building to the back of the visitor center. They have a great program for teaching novice hang gliders here. We nearly signed up for it. If it was not for the excessively high winds we would have probably tried it.
The kites are also a common site here too. Many people will bring all type of fancy kites when the weather is nice to try them out. If we spent more time here, I would probably bring Madilyn to just watch the kites and hang gliders. I am not aware of too many other place like this.
Overall
Jockey’s Ridge is unlike any NC park I have been to. The combination of accessibility, recreation, variety and scale make this a must see if you are in the area. There are beaches all over the NC coast but this stands apart. Between the untouched dune field and the hang gliding school I believe Jockey’s ridge has more to teach you about the Wright Brothers than the National Memorial down the street.
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