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From directions and ferry schedules to weather and event listings, you'll find it in the Outer Banks Travel Guide. Make the most of your OBX vacation.
Things you want to know!
Discover all that the Outer Banks has to offer in our Outer Banks Travel Guide. From delicious restaurants and unique shops, to famous historical sites and family-friendly activities, our coastline has something for everyone. The Carolina Designs vacation guide is your entry point to the OBX!
From directions and schedules to travel tips and swimming safety instructions, we've got all the information you'll need to help make your stay in one of our Outer Banks vacation rentals all it can be.
Information, Tips and Directions
There’s a lot to see and do on the Outer Banks and we want you to enjoy it all. Here are some quick tips, directions and other information you’ll find helpful in making your stay with us all it can be.
Find out more about Carolina Designer Realty and why renting your Outer Banks vacation home from us is a great choice for an even better vacation.
Since 1988, Carolina Designs Realty has represented select Outer Banks vacation homes located in the towns of Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head. We are a family owned and operated business that has established a reputation with guests for our quality properties and focus on customer service. Guests who reserve our homes enjoy keyless entry, freshly made beds, towel sets in each bedroom, wifi, our signature welcome package, and a dedicated staff whose goals are to enhance your vacation experience.
Our team is local and here to help! Here at CDR, we hang our hats on great houses and great customer service. If you need assistance finding the right house for your group, or have questions about the Outer Banks, give us a call! Our knowledgable staff is here for you, 7 days a week.
Voted “Best Vacation Rental Company” in Best of the Beach every year since 2013!
Contact information for the departments of Carolina Designs Realty. Our main phone number is 800-368-3825 |
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Open Daily 9AM-5PM; Holiday hours may vary.
Information on accessing your vacation rental with Carolina Designs' keyless entry system. Getting in and out is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3 – *.
Keyless EntryYour vacation home is equipped with keyless entry, which may look like one of the following:
To lock simply touch the keypad with the back of your hand causing the locking mechanism to activate and the lock will then close.
If problem persists, please call 800-368-3825.
Planning a trip is hard enough without the added stress of guessing what you’ll need. Here’s a list of what you’ll want to bring with you to the Outer Banks.
What to BringYou can rent just about anything you need for your vacation. From baby cribs to surf boards, Ocean Atlantic Rentals has your back — and Carolina Designs Realty guests receive a discount on online orders.
Our signature welcome package will be waiting at your home when you check in. You’ll find a reusable shopping bag containing a starter supply of the following items:
There are two standard grocery store chains that have multiple locations on the Outer Banks; Harris-Teeter (in Corolla, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills) and Food Lion (in Corolla, Southern Shores, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head). Publix Super Market is located in Kill Devil Hills. Tommy’s Natural Foods Market & Wine Shop in Duck has the largest selection of local, vegan and gluten free products in the area and you can pre-order groceries through their website.
Outer Banks stores can be very crowded on Saturdays and Sundays so we recommend planning your grocery shopping trip accordingly.
Outer Banks traffic can be very heavy on Saturdays and Sundays, especially heading north towards Duck and Corolla, so make your travel plans with this in mind.
Swimming in the ocean is far different than in a pool. That’s why we provide safety tips here for all visitors to the Outer Banks.
Ocean Swimming Safety TipsDuring dangerous surf conditions on Outer Banks beaches, the public is informed by local radio stations and also warned by red “NO SWIMMING” flags flying on the oceanfront at beach entrances. For your safety, please obey all red flag warnings.
It is against the law to swim in the surf when there is a Red Flag Warning on the Outer Banks beaches of Currituck County (Ocean Hill, Corolla Light, Whalehead, Monteray Shores, Buck Island, Crown Point, The Currituck Club, Spindrift, Ocean Sands and Pine Island) and Southern Shores. Violation is subject to a fine of up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail.”Swimming” is defined to also mean entry into the ocean by assistance of any device commonly used. (Surfers using a fiberglass and foam combination surfboard of at least five feet in length with a minimum of one fin and used with a leash are exempted from this red flag provision.)
Seaward currents, also called rip currents or rip tides, are created by breaks in the sand bar off shore and are very dangerous. Rip currents are channels of water flowing away from the shore and will pull a swimmer out from shore. When a rip current forms, a channel of water 10 to 50 feet wide flows quickly away from shore.
Contrary to popular conceptions, rip currents do not pull swimmers underwater.
To spot a rip current, look for the following signs:
If you are caught in a rip current, do not try to swim toward the shore against the current. Instead, wave and call for the Lifeguard, swim parallel to the shore until free of the current and then swim to shore. Above all, remain calm.
Learn more about Outer Banks Rip Currents
A backwash current on a steeply sloping beach can pull you toward deper water, but its power is swiftly checked by incoming waves. To escape this current, swim straight in if you’re a strong swimmer. If not, wait and float until the current stops, then swim in. If the current takes you out through incoming waves, it is a rip current.
If you plan on going fishing during your trip, please be aware that a Coastal Recreational Fishing License is required for anglers 16 and older. The license is required to recreationally fish in the state’s Coastal Fishing Waters, which include sounds, coastal rivers and their tributaries, and out to three miles in the ocean.
Sitting around a bonfire is a favorite activity on the Outer Banks – provided you know where they're allowed, when other regulations.
BonfiresSitting around a fire on an Outer Banks beach can be romantic and relaxing. Although not allowed on beaches in Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk or Kill Devil Hills – fires are allowed, with regulations, on beaches in Nags Head and along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The regulations are as follows:
Permits are required and are obtained from the Nags Head Fire Department located at 5314 Croatan Highway after 5:00pm on the specific day the fire is requested. Fires will not be permitted if winds are 10 knots or more. A picture ID, the address of applicant and the location for the requested fire are required. Fires cannot be built within 50 feet of any combustible material. In addition, the hollowed-out pit must be no larger than 3 feet in diameter and not less than 1 foot in depth. The fire must be attended by an adult and must be extinguished prior to leaving.
Small ground fires are permitted on the beach below the high tide line and a minimum 100 feet from dune vegetation. Ground fires must be attended by an adult and be completely extinguished using water, not sand, before leaving. Permits are not required.
Off-roading is a great way to explore the Outer Banks. Here's where they're permitted, when and other rules you'll need to know.
Off Roading The Outer BanksDriving an off-road vehicle (ORV) on the beach can be fun where beach driving is permitted. Please observe the following rules:
Beach driving in Corolla takes place year-round at the northern end of NC12 where the pavement ends, but south of this point ORV’s are only permitted between October 1st and April 30th. As of summer 2018, permits are required for beach driving in Corolla (Currituck County) from the Friday before Memorial Day until Labor Day. The permit can be purchased at the Corolla Visitors’ Center at 500 Hunt Club Drive in Corolla, or by mail beforehand. For more information, contact the town’s administrative office at 252-453-9612 or visit ParkingOnTheBeach.com. Please be extra careful when driving north of where the pavement ends, because this is where wild Spanish mustangs roam free. It is illegal to feed or come within 50 feet of these wild animals. This video from the Corolla Wild Horse Fund provides more information.
ORV’s are permitted on these Outer Banks beaches between October 1st and April 30th. No permit required. For more information on beach driving, contact the respective town’s administrative office at: Duck: 252-255-1234 and Kitty Hawk: 252-261-3552.
Beach driving on these Outer Banks beaches is only allowed between October 1 and April 30. In order to operate an ORV on the beach in Nags Head, visitors must apply for and receive a permit from the Nags Head Town Hall. Permits will be granted only with accompanying proof of state registration. Kill Devil Hills does not require a permit. For more information contact the respective town’s administrative office at: Kill Devil Hills: 252-449-5300 and Nags Head: 252-441-5508.
Use of ORV’s on the Outer Banks beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore is permitted year-round with limitations. Oceanfront beaches located in the Outer Banks towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras are closed to vehicles from May to September every year. Driving on beaches at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is strictly prohibited. ORV accesses to beaches are open to vehicles by designated ramps only. For current information on ORV areas, contact National Park Service Headquarters at 252-473-2111 or visit any visitor center located throughout the park.
No motorized vehicles allowed on the beach.
Information provided by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
People flock from around the world to experience fishing on the Outer Banks. Here's all the information on fishing in the area and why it's so popular.
FishingIf you plan on going fishing during your trip, please be aware that a Coastal Recreational Fishing License is required for anglers 16 and older. The license is required to recreationally fish in the state’s Coastal Fishing Waters, which include sounds, coastal rivers and their tributaries, and out to three miles in the ocean.
State Residents, 16 or older: $15 Non-residents, 16 or older: $30
State Residents, 16 or older: $5 Non-residents, 16 or older: $10
For a list of license retailers, or to order and print a license online visit www.ncwildlife.net
Fish & Fowl Charters – Captain Zac Coyle
Salt Minded Charters – Captain Dave Lusk
