Wright Brothers Carolina Dunes Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Whalebone Junction Information Center - Outer Banks Visitors Bureau

  Welcome to The Outer Banks and Carolina Sand Dunes! This tour is packed with breathtaking nature, historic shipwrecks, and epic first flights. So let’s get going! Note: The tour is over 37 miles long, with more than 28+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2
  Nags Head

  Travel through one of the best-known towns on the Outer Banks and hear the colorful legend behind its unusual name. The area is deeply connected to the region’s shipwreck and maritime history.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3
  Jockey's Ridge State Park

  Explore the tallest natural sand dune system in the eastern United States. The park offers dramatic dune scenery and preserves a landscape that local conservation efforts helped save from development. Day-use access is free.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4
  Kill Devil Hills

  Pass through the community where the Wright Brothers actually carried out their historic 1903 flight experiments. This area sits at the heart of the story of the world’s first successful powered flight.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5
  Wright Brothers National Memorial

  Visit the historic site where Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first controlled, sustained powered flight in 1903. Visitors can see flight markers, reconstructed buildings, exhibits, and the monument atop Big Kill Devil Hill.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 6
  Avalon Pier

  Take an optional detour to this 440-foot wooden pier for sweeping Atlantic Ocean views. The pier is also popular for fishing and has nearby restaurants and shops.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 7
  Kitty Hawk

  Drive through the famous Outer Banks town closely associated with the Wright Brothers and the beginnings of aviation. The brothers chose this region for its steady winds, open spaces, and soft sand.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8
  Wright Brothers Garage Monument

  See the small historic marker commemorating the location where Wilbur Wright worked on one of the brothers’ early gliders. The original workshop is gone, but the monument preserves the story of this important site.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 9
  Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve

  Discover a large protected maritime forest containing wetlands, swamp forests, rare plants, and diverse wildlife. Visitors can explore designated hiking and kayaking access points within the reserve.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10

  Pass through this quiet residential Outer Banks community between Kitty Hawk and Duck. Its tree-lined setting and preserved maritime landscape give it a different character from the busier beach towns nearby.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 11
  Duck

  Continue through the popular coastal town of Duck, known for Currituck Sound views, shopping, restaurants, and outdoor recreation. It is one of the main communities along the northern Outer Banks route.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 12
  Duck Town Park Boardwalk

  Stretch your legs along this scenic soundside boardwalk and park. Enjoy waterfront views, nature trails, shops, restaurants, and easy access to the heart of Duck.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 13

  Enjoy views across this broad, shallow sound stretching along the northern Outer Banks. Its low-salinity waters provide habitat for fish and impressive birdlife such as great egrets and great blue herons.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 14
  Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary

  Discover thousands of acres of protected coastal habitat supporting hundreds of bird species. A public nature trail offers opportunities for wildlife viewing, while access to the gated sanctuary itself requires advance arrangements.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 15
  Corolla

  Enter this historic northern Outer Banks community known for its beaches, watersports, maritime history, and famous herd of wild Spanish mustangs. The town grew from a small fishing settlement into one of the region’s most popular destinations.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 16
  Whalehead Club

  Visit a striking 22,000-square-foot Art Nouveau mansion built in the 1920s as an elaborate private hunting retreat. Today, visitors can tour the restored house and learn about the wealthy Knight family and Corolla’s hunting-club era.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 17
  Currituck Beach Lighthouse

  See Corolla’s distinctive 162-foot red-brick lighthouse, completed in 1875 to illuminate a dangerous stretch of the North Carolina coast. Its original first-order Fresnel lens remains an active aid to navigation. The grounds are free, but climbing the lighthouse currently requires paid admission.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 18

  Learn about this historic life-saving station established after a series of deadly Outer Banks shipwrecks. The restored station is also connected with local stories about unexplained activity and the legendary ghost known as “Mose.” The site is in the northern 4WD beach area and is not a conventional public paid-admission attraction.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 19

  Finish the tour at the wide sandy shoreline of Corolla, famous for coastal scenery and nearby wild-horse habitat. The road eventually reaches the 4WD beach, so vehicles that continue onto the sand should be suitable for off-road conditions. There is no beach entrance fee, although a seasonal parking permit may be required if you park in the 4WD area.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
• Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
• At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
• Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.

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