Outer Banks Bucketlist for January

January is just about the quietest time on the Outer Banks. Most folks don’t equate the beach with freezing cold temperatures.  People don’t want to drive on snowy roads to get here so a mid-Atlantic snowy forecast stops many folks from a weekend trip. Being quiet has many benefits.  It’s much easier getting around on our roads, the restaurants are not crowded, and you can enjoy many locations on the Outer Banks in relative solitude. If you are here this month, then get out and enjoy the OBX.  Here is our Outer Banks Bucketlist for January.

Drive on the Corova Beach

If you have a four-wheel drive, then this is a great time of year to get off-road north of Corolla. This time of year you’ll have large sections of the beach to yourself.  With so little traffic, the sand becomes compacted and much easier to drive on. That means less wear and tear on your vehicle. Most times you’ll get to see some wild horses.  It’s worth driving all the way to the Virginia State line.  This area is one of the only areas where the state line has a fence. The fence was installed to keep the horses in North Carolina and keep people from driving on the beach in Virginia. North of Carova is Virginia’s False Cape State Park.  If you go that far, you also might look for the surveyor’s baseline marker that was set on the state line over 100 years ago.  It’s less than a mile from the beach on the state line.  This is a great time of year to go to Corova Beach!

Visit the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

When you drive west towards Raleigh on US 64 then you’ll cross over two large bodies of water.  The first is the Croatan Sound and the second is the Alligator River. Are there alligators nearby?  Yes, there are!  Between these two large bodies of water is the Alligator National Wildlife Refuge. There are over 100,000 acres of land that’s protected from development.  Through the refuge are miles and miles of gravel roads and trails. Here’s a link to a map of the area.  Besides driving, you can hike or bike. This time of year, the bugs won’t be bad. If it’s warm you may see an alligator in the drainage ditches along the road.  You might also see a bear or all kinds of waterfowl. January is a good time to explore this area.

Take a long walk on the beach

It’s likely you’ll see some different things when you walk on the beach this time of year.  Our rough winter ocean delivers all kinds of debris to the beach.  Some of the common things you can find on the beach this time of year are starfish, a large variety of shells, conch egg cases and driftwood.   Since fewer people are on the beach, you’ll have a better chance of seeing these things.  It’s also common to see shrimp trawlers and whales off the Outer Banks in January.

There’s almost always something to do on the Outer Banks.  January is no exception. If you like solitude or just want to slow down relax then this is a good month to be on the beach.  We hope you are here and have the opportunity to try our Outer Banks bucketlist for January or to create your own list!