Top Places to Visit in Kitty Kawk

On the north end of town, before the intersection of US158 and NC12, there is a very shopping center with a Walmart Supercenter, Harris Teeter Supermarket and a number of other stores and services. There is a Home Depot just past the Harris Teeter, with a connecting road.

For the most part the business district of Kitty Hawk is centered on The Bypass—US158—and the Beach Road (NC12).

The Beach Road was the first paved road on the Outer Banks and many of the shops and restaurants retain the feel of the original business district of the town.

Two restaurants in particular bear special mention.

John’s Drive-in is a classic drive-in eatery that has been around for almost 45 years. The burgers and fries are the real deal, the milkshakes are made to order with real ice cream but the classic is the dolphin (maui-maui, the fish) boat. There is always a line and a wait. It’s worth the wait.

The other old time restaurant is Art’s Place founded in 1978. About a mile north of John’s on the Beach Road, there is enough room inside for a few tables, some counter seating and they serve an amazing burger with hand cut fries. In season, be sure to check out their open mic night. Some great local talent invariably shows up.

Parks and Forests

Kitty Hawk Woods

Protected by a line of sand dunes from the harsh winds and salt spray of the Atlantic Ocean, at one time the western side of the Outer Banks was an almost continuous stretch of dense maritime forest.

Much of it has given way to population pressures and development as the Outer Banks became a popular destination, but there are still some protected areas. One of the largest is Kitty Hawk Woods, a spectacular 1900 acre preserve that offers a remarkably different side to the Outer Banks.

It is somewhat difficult to access; there are only three trailheads and parking is very li-mited.

The easiest to find is the Ridge Road Trailhead at the end of Ridge Road. It is an easily navigated trail that follows the ridge of a relict dune line. There are spur trails off it that are worth exploring. The trail passes through the Woods to the trailhead at the intersec-tion of Amadas Land and Colleton Avenue. Amadas and Colleton are dirt roads and all of the streets in that area are dirt roads.

The other trail is at the end of Birch Lane. The trail is a low ridge with swales on both sides. It is not a loop trail and ends at an impassable deadfall of trees.

An easy way to experience Kitty Hawk Woods is to either drive the Woods Road, which bisects the preserve, or to ride, jog or walk the multiuse path along the road.

The Woods Road connects with West Kitty Hawk Road and US158 at the second light past the end of the Wright Memorial Bridge.

Sandy Run Park

Sandy Run Park is a beautiful little park off the Woods Road. There is a combination boardwalk and dirt path that is perfect for the whole family, right down to the little legs of a three year old.

The path is a little less than a mile long and circles a pond and wetlands. During war-mer weather look for lots and lots of yellow-bellied slider turtles.

Kitty Hawk Park

Kitty Hawk Park, located at 900 West Kitty Hawk Road, includes a challenging skate-board and bike bowl, picnic tables and a dog park. A county permit is required for the use of the dog park.

The Beach

The Kitty Hawk beach was recently nourished changing a fairly narrow beach into a wide beach featuring soft sand.

The town of Kitty Hawk does offer a number of beach access parking lots and crossov-ers. Look for the CAMA signs indicating public access to the beach.

The Kitty Hawk Bath House is immediately south of the Black Pelican Restaurant lo-cated at the east end of Kitty Hawk Road.

Surfers keep your eyes open for good breaks. Sandbars migrate but there is usually a good break about 150 to 200 yards north of the Kitty Hawk Bathhouse. Check out the Eckner Street parking for best access.