Jockey's Ridge State Park » Activities
Click the links below to view information about activities for this park.
| Accessible Facilities | Sandboarding and Kiteboarding |
| Education and Events | |
| Exhibit Hall | |
| Hang Gliding | |
| Hiking | |
| Picnicking |
Accessibile Facilities: A trip to the top of the dune, once thought impossible for those with physical disabilities, can now be achieved with the help of all-terrain vehicles. Park staff will drive people who need assistance over the sand to the exciting views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Roanoke Sound available at the top of the dune. Rides on the all-terrain vehicles must be reserved ahead of time. Contact the park office for reservations.
Interpretive tapes describing the views from the boardwalk are helpful for persons with visual impairments; and, with prior notice, some educational programs can be given in sign language. Contact the park office for details.
Education and Events: Rangers hold regularly scheduled educational and interpretive programs about Jockey's Ridge State Park. To arrange a special exploration of Jockey's Ridge State Park for your group or class, contact the park office.
Educational materials about Jockey's Ridge State Park have been developed for grades 4-6 and are correlated to North Carolina's competency-based curriculum in science, social studies, mathematics and English/language arts. The Jockey's Ridge program introduces students to the environment of a sand dune and the plants and animals that live on and around it. Major concepts covered include adaptations, animal signs and natural area preservation. Accompanying the program is a teacher's booklet and workshop, free of charge to educators.
Exhibit Hall: Learn more about the natural, cultural and historical history of Jockey's Ridge State Park and the Outer Banks at the park's exhibit hall. Find out what dunes are made of, how they are created and how they are shaped. Research the history of storms and their influences on park dunes and on the Outer Banks. Learn about the plants and animals of Jockey's Ridge and about their role in the park now and how they were used in earlier days. Find out more about the various activities available on the dune. Ever wonder where the names 'Kill Devil Hills' and 'Nags Head' came from? Visit the exhibit hall to find out more about these and other legends, including Blackbeard's treasure.
The exhibit hall is located in the park visitor's center and is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Exhibits include:
A diorama that depicts what happens at night when the park is closed and the wildlife comes out to
takes over the dune.
A computer program that allows visitors to see how the rising sea level created the Outer Banks and
its dunes.
A computer program that allows visitors to research the weather at Jockey's Ridge.
Several matching games that allow visitors to match tracks to the animals that created them, dune
names to their locations across the country, dune shapes to the shape's name, and leaf shapes to the
corresponding plants.
A display of fulgurites, the glass tubes formed when lightening strikes a dune.
Hang Gliding: Fly the same skies as some of the world's most famous pilots. Years ago, Orville and Wilbur Wright took advantage of the Outer Banks' tall dunes and prevailing winds to explore the world of aviation. Today, colorful kites, model planes and hang gliders are evidence that flying is still popular on Jockey's Ridge. Year-round winds, often blowing up to 10-15 miles per hour, make Jockey's Ridge ideal for these sports.
Hang gliding is regulated by park staff for the safety of participants and other visitors. Only persons with a USHGA Hang 1 or other agency-approved rating card may hang glide on Jockey's Ridge. All hang gliders must register with the park office. Hang-gliding activity stops one hour before the park closes.
Visitors may take hang gliding lessons; register at the private hang-gliding concession located near the park visitor's center.
Hiking: Both children and adults enjoy climbing and playing on the park's huge pile of sand. Some hike the dune for the spectacular views of coastal Carolina, others for the experience of the desert-like environment. When hiking the ridge, look for fulgurites, glass tubes formed when lightning hits the sand. (Please don't remove the fulgurites from the park.)
Shoes are a must to protect tender feet from hot sand and sandspurs—sand temperatures may be as much as 30 degrees higher than air temperatures. Be aware of the hang-gliding landing and launching zones; refer to the park map for the location of these areas. The ridge area closes 15 minutes before the park closes.
Soundside Natural Trail: This self-guided nature trail is approximately one mile long and will take about one hour to hike at a leisurely pace. This little explored section of the park contains several different coastal environments, including a wetland area, grassy dunes and maritime thickets. Interpretive panels along the trail provide information on the many plants and animals which call this area home. Enjoy your hike and please observe the sound-side parking lot hours.
Tracks in the Sand: The nature of shifting sand prevents the construction of traditional trails in the park. Tracks in the Sand is a 1.5-mile, self-guiding trail composed of 14 stations. Walked at a leisurely pace, the hike takes approximately 1.5 hours. The trail begins at the parking lot and leads through the many environments in the park. On the trail, you will see many tracks, ranging from foxes and deer to insects and birds. Brochures for the trail can be picked up at the trailhead or in the visitor's center.
If you prefer a shorter trip, a 360-foot boardwalk is located near the beginning of the Tracks in the Sand trail. Interpretive displays along the route offer information about the plants and animals found in the area. A deck with a bench is the perfect place to snap a photo or sit down and enjoy nature.
The town of Nags Head and Jockey's Ridge State Park operate an estuarine access at the base of the dune along Roanoke Sound. Facilities include two dune crossovers and informational panels about this special environment.
Picnicking: A hike to the top of the ridge can work up an appetite! The picnic area adjacent to the parking lot offers a break from the relentless wind, sun and sand. Eight picnic shelters are spaced among small dunes with low-growing vegetation. Each shelter has two tables and a grill. Drinking water and restrooms are located nearby. Use of the shelters is free unless reservations are requested.
Sandboarding and Kiteboarding: Work on your tan in the sunning area of the estuarine access at the base of the dune along Roanoke Sound or let the wind be your guide as you enjoy kiteboarding. There's also a designated site for sandboarding, which is allowed October 1 through March 31. Participants must obtain a permit from the park office.
N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation • 1615 MSC • Raleigh N.C. 27699-1615 (919) 733-4181