Four of Our Favorite OBX Beach Accesses
One of the best things about the Outer Banks is that no two beach days have to look exactly the same. Whether you're looking for easy parking, lifeguards, showers, accessibility features or simply a beautiful stretch of sand, these are a few of our favorite public beach accesses. Click here for information on one of the OBX Fishing Piers.
🏖️ Kitty Hawk Bath House Beach Access
A great all-around choice for families and anyone who appreciates having the conveniences close by. The Kitty Hawk Bath House is one of the area's larger public accesses, with 50 parking spaces, including accessible parking. You'll also find public restrooms and showers, making this an especially convenient choice for a full beach day.
🏖️ Ocean Bay Boulevard Beach Access
If accessibility and amenities are at the top of your list, Ocean Bay is hard to beat. It's home to Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue headquarters and is the town's first fully accessible beach access.
A wooden accessible ramp leads from the parking area toward the beach, and fixed and roll-out beach mats help make the sand more accessible for wheelchair users. The town also offers free beach wheelchairs here on a first-come, first-served basis.
🏖️ Bonnett Street Beach Access
Bonnett Street is one of Nags Head's larger, well-equipped public beach accesses and a favorite when you're planning to settle in for the day. There's ample parking, a bathhouse, showers and an accessible route to the beach.
🐚 Coquina Beach — Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Want something that feels a little more like the wild Outer Banks? Coquina Beach is worth the short drive south.
Part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Coquina offers a beautiful, wide stretch of undeveloped shoreline without oceanfront homes immediately behind you. It's also conveniently located across NC 12 from the road leading to the Bodie Island Lighthouse, making it easy to combine two Outer Banks favorites in one outing.
It's a particularly nice choice for beachcombing and shell hunting and yes, the beach gets its name from the tiny coquina clams found along the shoreline.
🌊 A Quick Beach Safety Note
The Atlantic is beautiful, but conditions can change quickly. We always recommend swimming near a lifeguard when possible and checking the day's rip-current forecast, beach conditions and warning flags before heading out.
Lifeguard locations and schedules are seasonal and can change because of weather, ocean conditions or staffing, so always confirm current coverage before relying on a lifeguard being present.
