North Carolina events › Itineraries › Outer Banks Long Weekend
Outer Banks Long Weekend: a 3-day plan with 6 stops, 2 of them state parks and 4 attractions, each with admission, dog rules and hours or notes copied from the official page. 2 list free entry. Distances are straight-line miles; drive times from five cities are in the table.
- Days3plan, then adjust
- Stops6each with a source
- State Parks2official park pages
- Free Entry2as the page states
Trip Kit
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- Day 1 Kitty Hawk to Nags HeadWright Brothers National Memorial › Jockey's Ridge State ParkRoute
- Day 2 Hatteras Island and Roanoke IslandCape Hatteras National Seashore / Bodie Island Lighthouse › North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke IslandRoute
- Day 3 Heading Home on the MainlandPettigrew State Park › Tryon PalaceRoute
The first-flight site and the tallest dunes on the Atlantic coast sit a short hop apart.
Wright Brothers National Memorial
Kill Devil Hills, Dare County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- $10 per person (ages 16 and over)
- Child admission
- Free (ages 15 and younger)
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Operator notes
- Fee is per person, not per vehicle; pay at automated machines or recreation.gov; Annual Pass $35
Checked October 18, 2026.
Jockey's Ridge State Park
Nags Head, Dare County · State parkFree Entry
The tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast sits in the Outer Banks, a spot for kites and sunsets, with hang gliding lessons from a private concessionaire. A second access on Roanoke Sound is used for swimming, paddling, kiteboarding and windsurfing.
- Admission
- Free day use
- Hours
- Closes 6 to 9 p.m.; opens 8 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park, except they are not permitted inside buildings. Due to hot sand and sandspurs, we recommend protection for paws; sand temperatures may be as much as 30 degrees higher than air temperatures. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
About 4 mi straight line from Wright Brothers National Memorial
Lighthouse country and an aquarium; the national seashore sets its own rules.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore / Bodie Island Lighthouse
Nags Head, Dare County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- No entrance fee for Cape Hatteras National Seashore; Bodie Island Lighthouse climb $10 adult
- Child admission
- $5 children under 12 (must be over 42 in tall) for Bodie Island climb
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Operator notes
- outdoor areas near it open 24/7
Checked October 18, 2026.
North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island
Manteo, Dare County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- Not confirmed
- Child admission
- Not confirmed
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Operator notes
- Page states timed reserved tickets are required; admission fee table did not render in page text (price widget); not read
Checked October 18, 2026.
About 4 mi straight line from Cape Hatteras National Seashore / Bodie Island Lighthouse
A state park on the sound side and a historic capital on the way inland.
Pettigrew State Park
Creswell, Washington County · State parkFree Entry
Lake Phelps and the Scuppernong River bring wintering tundra swans and cypress trees with cavernous archways. Dugout canoes thousands of years old have been pulled from the lake, and Somerset Place State Historic Site sits nearby.
- Admission
- Free day use
- Hours
- Closes 6 to 9 p.m.; opens 8 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park and at campsites. They are not permitted inside buildings. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
Tryon Palace
New Bern, Craven County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- $20 One Day Pass (adult); Galleries & Gardens $15; Gardens $10
- Child admission
- $10 One Day Pass (ages 6-14); Galleries & Gardens $8; Gardens $5
- Dogs
- Pets NOT allowed (service animals permitted)
- Parking
- Free parking
- Operator notes
- Palace tours timed and include stairs
Checked October 18, 2026.
About 61 mi straight line from Pettigrew State Park
More Stops If You Have Time
Fort Macon State Park
Atlantic Beach, Carteret County · State parkFree Entry
A restored pre-Civil War fort anchors this Carteret County park, with daily guided tours and frequent cannon and musket demonstrations. The beach is open for swimming and beachcombing, and salt marsh and dune trails are good for birding.
- Admission
- Free day use
- Hours
- Closes 5:30 to 9 p.m.; opens 8 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park, except they are not permitted on the swim beach, inside the fort, or inside buildings. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
Drive Times From Five Cities
| Stop | Charlotte | Raleigh | Greensboro | Asheville | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright Brothers National Memorial | 343 min | 193 min | 272 min | 405 min | 252 min |
| Jockey's Ridge State Park | 339 min | 189 min | 268 min | 401 min | 247 min |
| Tryon Palace | 252 min | 113 min | 183 min | 324 min | 104 min |
| Fort Macon State Park | 296 min | 157 min | 228 min | 368 min | 121 min |
First route Google Maps listed, read October 18, 2026, so live traffic may be reflected. Stops without a row are not in our drive-times file. Full table: drive times to North Carolina attractions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I need?
This plan is built for 3 days. Stops are listed in a workable order, not a promise that every one fits in your time.
Are the prices and hours current?
Each stop was read on its own official page on the date shown under it. Prices and hours change by season; use the official page link before you go.
Where are the events?
Dated events change every week, so they are not on this page. Pick your dates in the trip kit above, then open the event finder for what is on.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Wright Brothers National Memorial: dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore / Bodie Island Lighthouse: dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island: adult admission, child admission, dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Drive times between stops are not shown, because we hold no sourced stop-to-stop times; the route buttons in the trip kit open current directions.
Sources
- Wright Brothers National Memorial (operator page)
- Jockey's Ridge State Park (state park page)
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore / Bodie Island Lighthouse (operator page)
- North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island (operator page)
- Pettigrew State Park (state park page)
- Tryon Palace (operator page)
- Fort Macon State Park (state park page)
- Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, place points used for straight-line miles
Read on October 27, 2026. Straight-line miles are computed from park GPS or Census town points, not driving distances. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Map of Itinerary Stops
Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “Outer Banks Long Weekend”, itsnorthcarolina.com/itineraries/outer-banks-long-weekend/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.