As the easternmost end of Bogue Banks, Atlantic Beach is a favorite beach resort town along North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. Start your days with a nature walk in Fort Macon State Park or Hoop Pole Creek Preserve before relaxing on the sandy beaches, fishing from one of the many piers, or surfing in the area’s waters. Then cap off the day with a visit to an ice cream shop or biergarten. Also explore the barrier island’s other towns to the west: Pine Knolls Shores is just 4.6 miles away, Salter Path is 8.5 miles away, Indian Beach is 9 miles, and Emerald Isle 12.3 miles. Harkers Island, with the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, is also nearby, a 22.6-mile drive to the east.

Like most East Coast beach towns, Atlantic Beach summers are the most popular travel season, when highs are in the upper 70s to 80s Fahrenheit and lows in the 60s to 70s. But those temperatures come with some serious humidity, which can feel muggy from May to mid-October. Spring and fall are more temperate times to stay in one of the area’s vacation rentals, with highs in the 60s and 70s and lows ranging from the 40s to 70s. Winters are on the cooler side, with highs in the 50s and 60s, and lows sitting in the 40s to 60s. Rainfall is between three and four inches for most of the year, peaking in early September.

Fort Macon State Park

At the far end of Bogue Banks, the state park is surrounded by Bogue Sound to the north, Beaufort Inlet on the east, and the Atlantic Ocean on the south. It features a 1.5-mile beach trail, along which visitors can see more than 300 bird species or perhaps even spot dolphins in the ocean. The 3.2-mile Elliott Coues Nature Trail stretches from the fort to the beach area passing through the various terrains, covering sand dunes, marshes, and a maritime forest. The beach swimming area’s bathhouse and refreshment stand is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Fishing is popular year-round, with flounder, bluefish, and whiting as popular catches.

Hoop Pole Creek Preserve

The 31-acre maritime forest area right by the Atlantic Station Shopping Center offers a natural haven, known for its mile-long trail, which traces the creek. The route is lined with plants and shrubs that have adapted to the sandy environment like the redbay and American holly. You can also spot songbirds, butterflies, and turtles in the area.

Rachel Carson Reserve

A fifteen-minute drive away in Beaufort, the reserve — which is accessible only by passenger ferry and private boats — is home to about 30 wild horses.