The beaches in North Carolina are among the most admired. North Carolina has the most popular shorelines in the country.
Its beaches are recognized for their natural beauty. The spacious sandy shorelines, sparkling blue waters, and calming ambiance will tantalize your senses. They are, therefore, ideal for any family trip. An ideal place to relax with your children on holiday.
Beaches in North Carolina are ideal for families. They also offer numerous fun activities. Do you want to go parasailing, jet-skiing, surfing, camping, or paddle boarding?
Then you will be in the right place.
Regardless of age, your loved ones will have a great time exploring and relaxing on the North Carolina coastline.
So gather your loved ones and prepare for an amazing trip. Below you will find some of the best family-friendly beaches in North Carolina!
- Duck Public Beach — Duck
This Beach has been recognized nationally as one of the “Top 15 Family-Friendly Beaches in America.”
The shorelines are pristine. They go for miles and miles, presenting endless views of the Atlantic Ocean. Who would not want to bask in the beauty of nature in such amazing scenery?
Why We Recommend This Beach
This Beach is gorgeous and the crème de la crème of family-friendly beaches in North Carolina. It will offer your loved ones numerous fun activities. You can enjoy kayaking, jet-skiing, parasailing, pontooning, and paddle boarding.
Bottom of Form
Its wide and spacious shorelines will make you enjoy a relaxing time on this beach. You can also go sunbathing or building sand castles with your kids.
From the start of May running through to the end of October, Lifeguards are available on duty.
Need a lovely place to stay with your family nearby? Worry no more; some of the best family resorts in North Carolina, such as the Sanderling Resort, which happens to be nearby.
Pro Tip
Occasionally rip currents may appear. It is, therefore, important to be watchful when swimming. Try and swim close to or within the eyeshot of the available lifeguard always.
- Fort Fisher State Park Beach – Kure Beach
Fort Fisher State Park Beach is the beautiful, manicured coastline of Kure Beach.
It features pristine turquoise and soft, powdery sand.
Why We Recommend This Beach
You will get to spend quality time with your loved ones on one of North Carolina’s best family-friendly beach vacations.
Forty Fisher State Park’s beaches are scenic, with five miles of shoreline. They are perfect for sunbathing, picnicking, and playing with your children.
This popular Beach is a great spot for surfing, boating, rock fishing, and beachcombing.
There are also shaded picnic areas and facilities such as grills where meals can be prepared and eaten. Their changing rooms and showers are convenient for families traveling with children.
Expert Tips
You can site loggerhead turtles while strolling along the Beach; keep an eye out for them. If you want to see more of these beautiful creatures and other marine life, visit the NC Aquarium in nearby Fort Fisher.
- Corolla Public Beach – Corolla
This is the perfect retreat for visitors as it has fine sand and a wide coastline. It is a tranquil paradise for sure.
Why We Recommend This Beach
Apart from being far from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is also less crowded and does not have many vendors.
This guarantees a peaceful vacation with your family. You will enjoy some quality time together without any disturbance. Fun things to do on a beach vacation with kids in North Carolina include playing tag on the Beach, swimming in the water, and building sand sculptures and sandcastles. You will see wild horses roaming the Beach and the sea, and you will get to watch dolphins swimming by.
Expert Tips
Be sure to check the flags containing precautions about swimming conditions before you enter the water.
- Carolina Beach — Carolina Beach
Carolina Beach is a great family spot. It has soft, clean sand and amenities to make your vacation convenient and fun.
Why We Recommend This Beach
I highly recommend visiting Carolina Beach If you’re looking for the best of North Carolina beaches for your family. It’s a great surfing destination too.
You can enroll your kids in the Tony Silvani Surf School, where they can learn to ride waves while you go surfing.
This is also one of the best beaches in North Carolina for kids, as it’s near a gorgeous boardwalk with delicious food stalls, fun rides, carousels, and carnival games.
Carolina Beach, North Carolina’s safest Beach, features a wide shoreline with generally gentle waves crashing towards the shore, a flat seabed, and lifeguards on duty.
This coastline is also a great option for a relaxing vacation.
You can sunbathe on the sand, relax on a beach, lounger under an umbrella, or take a quiet walk while exploring the Beach with the kids in search of unique seashells.
Expert Tips
Summer is the best time to visit Carolina Beach. This time of year, the seaside promenade offers a variety of family-friendly options, including festivals and fireworks shows.
- Kill Devil Hills Public Beach — Kill Devil Hills
Do not be fooled by the name; this pristine coastline is a beautiful and charming destination loved by locals and tourists alike.
Why We Recommend This Beach
The sandy shoreline of Kill Devil Hills Public Beach offers endless options for loved ones and is perfect for a family vacation.
Family vacations in North Carolina where younger kids play on the Beach and build sandcastles, teens surf, boogie board and play beach volleyball. The Beach has attentive lifeguards to take care of anything, easy access to parking, and easy unpacking and packing of your belongings, toilets, and showers so you can enjoy a long day at sea. You can easily wash it off after using it.
Expert Tips
If you’re surfing the waves, avoid Avalon Pier, the best fishing spot.
There are also a lot of boats and fishing lines along the way.
- Nags Head Beach – Nags Head
This scenic Beach has a kid-friendly coastline. A wide, flat coastline and azure waters set the coastline apart.
Why We Recommend This Beach
Nags Head Beach is full of recreational activities for the whole family.
Activities you can enjoy here while on vacation include surfing, surf fishing, kite surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and kayaking.
You can also pitch a tent on the Beach and watch the waves or read a good book.
Get a permit to light a campfire at night so you and your family can sit around the warm fire roasting marshmallows, making s’mores, and watching the bright stars overhead.
Expert Tips
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, lifeguards are on duty. So if you visit in the off-season, keep an eye on the boys.
- Wrightsville Beach — Wrightsville Beach
Voted the best Beach in North Carolina and one of National Geographic’s top surfing cities, Wrightsville Beach is a prime example of what North Carolina has to offer.
Why We Recommend This Beach
One of the state’s most popular beaches, Wrightsville Beach boasts shimmering turquoise blue waters and miles and miles of pristine coastline.
Take the tribe on water adventures like sailing, surfing, kiteboarding, and stand-up paddle boarding, and experience North Carolina’s best family weekend getaways.
The Beach has easily accessible restrooms when needed, numerous lifeguards to ensure your family’s safety at all times, and plenty of parking, so do not drive around town while looking for a place to park your car.
Expert Tips
The beaches along the ocean are not only breathtakingly beautiful but are also more prone to currents.
Be on the lookout before entering the water.
- Bald Head Island South Beach – Bald Head Island
Accessible only by boat or ferry, South Beach is one of three beaches on Bald Head Island South Beach. Quietest and the most peaceful Beach in North Carolina.
Why We Recommend This Beach
Bald Head Island South Beach is the perfect oasis for families looking for a quiet getaway from busy city life.
This part of the island generally has calm waves and a flat coastline, making it one of the most kid-friendly beaches in North Carolina.
Sun loungers and parasols are available for rent for a more relaxing day at the Beach on a hot summer day.
The coastline also offers some of the best panoramic views of Bald Head Island.
On the other side of the Beach is the Shoals Club, where you can enjoy fun family games and scavenger hunts for the kids.
Other facilities include a boardwalk, restaurants, and two swimming pools.
Expert Tips
Cars are not allowed here, so pack lightly and only the essentials for your trip.
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach – Buxton
Nirvana family fun at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach offers some of the most breathtaking scenery in North Carolina.
Why We Recommend This Beach
No matter how old your kids are, there are exciting things they can do at this kid-friendly beach destination. For example, collecting unique seashells, flying kites, building sand castles and sculptures, and running around the wide coastline.
On the other hand, bodyboarding, skimboarding, surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, and kitesurfing are fun activities older members of your tribe might want to try.
Expert Tips
Occasionally you can see wild and unique animals such as sea turtles. You can enjoy their beauty from a distance, but don’t get too close, feed them, or touch them.
- Currituck Beach – Corolla
With its fine sand and crystal clear water, Currituck Beach offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a wonderful place to make new memories with your family. You will get to see herds of spectacular wild horses and Spanish mustangs up close.
Why We Recommend This Beach
Some of North Carolina’s best family beaches are in Corolla, and Currituck Beach is one of the most popular and attractive.
At 20 miles long, this coastline is the perfect place to connect with your family and enjoy a much-needed vacation. Get in the water and enjoy surfing, windsurfing, kayaking, kite surfing, and more.
You can also stay on the shore, build sandcastles with the kids, lay down on a beach towel and tan, or play tag.
Expert Tips
The waves here can get pretty strong. Ensure to check the water before swimming.
