Planning a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina during the month of May? Wondering if there is anything fun to do during your vacation?
You’ll be pleased to know that there is plenty to do and see on the OBX during this time of year!
The busiest time of year on the Outer Banks is hands down during the months of June, July and August. The kids are out of school, the temperatures are high, and everyone wants to spend a week at the beach. However, because its the busiest time of year, traffic can be an issue, as well as congestion and wait times at your favorite seafood restaurant or locally-owned shop.
Fortunately, if you visit the area during May, you can beat the summer crowd, and enjoy most everything the Outer Banks has to offer during the summer months!
Here are just a few things we recommend doing and seeing during your OBX getaway during the month of May.
Things to do in May on the OBX
Check out a lighthouse… or two!
You can visit a lighthouse (or two) and snap a few photos in front of the iconic structures that are spread out along the Outer Banks every few dozen miles. Access to the grounds near Currituck Beach, Roanoke Marshes, Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras or Ocracoke Island lighthouses is open during the month of May.
Reserve a Corolla Wild Horse Tour
Voyage on your own, self-guided tour as you search for the wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs roaming freely on the northernmost Currituck Outer Banks. If you don’t own a 4×4 truck or SUV, you book your tour with one of the many companies that provide this service, like the nonprofit Corolla Wild Horse Fund.
Stop by one of these two major events that take place in Nags Head
If you are going to be on the Outer Banks during the time of these events, we recommend you check out the Hang Gliding Spectacular or the OBX Brewfest. Spectacular takes place at Jockey’s Ridge State Park and is the longest-running hang gliding competition in the world.
Yes, in the entire world! Brewfest is a celebration of the craft brewery boom that’s taken place in the US over the past decade. Many of the beers on tap are from nearby breweries, including Full Moon Cafe and Brewery (Manteo, NC), Weeping Radish Farm Brewery (Grandy, NC), and the Outer Banks Brewing Station (Kill Devil Hills, NC).
Enjoy fresh seafood at one of the many locally-owned restaurants on the OBX
There are SO MANY terrific restaurants to choose from on the Outer Banks. Here are some recommendations:
Breakfast
- Duck Donuts
- Waveriders
- Grit’s Grill
- Miller’s Seafood & Steak
- Jolly Roger
- Stack ’em High
Lunch & Dinner
- Kill Devil Grill
- Rundown Cafe
- Blue Moon Beach Grill
- Tortugas’ Lie
- Sam & Omie’s
- Fish Heads Bar & Grill
- The Blue Point
Locals tip: If you want to save money, go out to eat for lunch instead of dinner! Most restaurants on the Outer Banks have either a similar or identical menu for lunch and dinner… the only difference is the price!
Soar like the Wright brother’s as you hang glide over the sand dunes
Kitty Hawk Kites has been teaching people how to hang glide at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head since 1974! Beginner lessons include flight school and anywhere from three to five flights off the dunes at the largest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States!
Visit one of the many piers along the Outer Banks
Go fishing or just enjoy a stroll along the wooden planks at one of the many piers along the OBX. If you had to choose just one pier, we recommend checking out Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. The structure was rebuilt after being devastated by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. North Carolina Aquariums currently owns and operates the concrete pier that reaches 1000 feet out over the Atlantic Ocean!
So that about sums up a shortlist of things you can do on the Outer Banks during the month of May. This list could easily be much, much longer, as there is plenty to do and see during this spring month!
