Description
Looking for things to do with your family in Nags Head? You’re not alone—the Outer Banks hosts more than 3 million visitors every year. This preserve provides a shaded retreat that’s great for families with kids, dog-walkers, bird-watchers, and anyone who is looking for a break from the traditional beach day.
Nags Head Woods Preserve is one of the largest remaining maritime forests on the East Coast. A maritime forest is a woodland habitat affected by the ocean. This unique habitat can be experienced through the preserve’s 8 trails—each one has unique features from lushly wooded dunes, peaceful ponds and brackish marsh, all teeming with plant and animal life. Our trails range from 0.2 to 3 miles long; most of them are dirt trails with grasses and exposed roots along the surface, so we advise wearing closed-toe shoes. Please download our preserve map with more information about each trail and its difficulty level.
Nags Head Woods has one fully accessible, ADA-compliant trail. It is a 0.5-mile loop with an even surface made of concrete and wood boardwalk. It is accessible with walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. It has a cross slope of a maximum 2.5%, a grade of a maximum 5%, and the pathway’s width is 6 feet. The trail has a fishing platform with accessible space for fishing and two accessible parking spots at the trailhead. There are benches at the beginning and midway point of the trail with two observation platforms where visitors can overlook both the brackish marsh and the large pond.
The preserve has bathrooms at the administrative office, but it is only open during business hours. Accessible bathrooms are only available when the office is open. Please plan accordingly.
