Outer Banks Areas

Not long ago, the National Geographic Society official and geo-tourism editor, Jonathan Tourtellot said that the Outer Banks areas off North Carolina are in danger of being spoiled. This region has been widely renowned for its history, blending culture with astounding environment.

However, Tourtellot argues that many tourist destinations are being overtaken. This action includes housing, restaurants chains and stores complex replacing the natural settings. A closer look to the different areas of the Outer Banks demonstrate that North Carolina's region keep their peculiar charm as a desirable tourist destination with a well preserved environment.

Listed from north to south, these are the Outer Bank areas:

NORTHERN OUTER BANKS

Corolla
A summer-incorporated community, located in Popular Branch Township, Currituck County, and favorite location for multi-family vacations or reunions.

Duck
Community located in Dare County, and home to around 500 permanent residents, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Duck Field Research Pier, in charge of coastal research.

Southern Shores, North Carolina
This town is located in Dare County, with a total population of 2,201 as of the 2000 census.

Kitty Hawk
A town located in Dare County, established in the early 16th century as Chickahawk, and famous after the Wright Brothers' Flight.

Kill Devil Hills
Another town located in Dare County, with a total population of 5,897 as of the 2000 census.

Nags Head
This town belongs to Dare County, and had a total population of 2,700 as of the 2000 census.

Manteo
Town located in Dare County, with a total population of 1,052 as of the 2000 census, being also a county seat of Dare County.

HATTERAS ISLAND

Rodanthe
An unincorporated community in Dare County, on Hatteras Island, that originally was part of the settlement of Chicamacomico.

Waves
Another unincorporated community located in Dare County, on Hatteras Island, and part of the settlement of Chicamacomico. This town was formerly known as South Rodanthe until 1939.

Salvo
The last of the three unincorporated communities in Dare County, on Hatteras Island, belonging to the original settlement of Chicamacomico. This town was known as Clarks or Clarksville, renamed until 1901 after the town received a post office and the name change. This office was destroyed by an arsonist in 1992.

Avon
Avon is a place located in Dare County, historically named Kinnakeet, but renamed Avon after the first U.S. Postal Service post office was established in 1883.

Buxton
This is a community of near 1500 people in the Dare County, on Hatteras Island.

Frisco
A small community previously named Trent or Trent Woods, located on the barrier island of Hatteras, in between the villages of Buxton and Hatteras, but like other towns and communities within the Outer Banks, its name was changed after the first post office opened.

Hatteras
A community of approximately 1000 people, located in Dare County.

OCRACOKE ISLAND

Ocracoke
A town and census-designated place located in the southern end of Ocracoke Island, in the Hyde County, with a total population of 769 as of the 2000 census.

Portsmouth Island
An uninhabited barrier island after a strong hurricane in 1846, and running southwest to northeast along the North Carolina shore, standing between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, limiting with Ocracoke Island to the northeast and Core Banks to the southwest. The last permanent residents left the island in 1971.

Core Banks
Another uninhabited barrier island.

Shackleford Banks
This is the last of the three uninhabited barrier islands in the Ocracoke Island community.

BOGUE BANKS

Atlantic Beach
Town located in Carteret County, with a total population of 1,781 as of the 2000 census.

Pine Knoll Shores
A town located in Carteret County, with a total population of 1,524 as of the 2000 census.

Salter Path
This is a community located in Carteret County.

Indian Beach
Town located in Carteret County, which population was 95 as of the 2000 census.

Emerald Isle
Town located in Carteret County, with a total population of 3,488.as of the 2000 census.

Except for the uninhabited islands, most of these areas have countless attractions, historic places and world-class facilities, amenities and activities, as in example the following:

NAGS HEAD
- Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve
- Bodie Island Lighthouse
- Jockey's Ridge State Park

ROANOKE ISLAND
- The Lost Colony - Paul Green's educational story of the first English Colonists of 1587
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
- Elizabeth II State Historic Site
- The Elizabethan Gardens
- North Carolina Aquarium
- Roanoke Island Festival Park

KILL DEVILS HILLS
- Wright Brothers National Memorial

HATTERAS ISLAND
- Buxton Woods Maritime Forest and Nature Trail
- US Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

OCRACOKE ISLAND.
- Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
- Frisco Native American Museum
- Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station

COROLLA
- Currituck Beach Lighthouse
- Pine Island Audobon Sanctuary
- The 1920s Whalehead Club

There are many other points of remarkable interest, and a society concerned to keeping the region fundamental. The Outer Banks Community Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization taking good care of resources entrusted to them as charitable funds, founded in 1982 by David Stick and six of the Outer Banks most honored citizens.

David Stick was honored during the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the incorporated town of Southern Shores. Such celebration commemorated also Manteo’s centennial parade celebration. David Stick has been known for his research and interests as a historian of the Outer Banks.

Mr. Stick was the first licensed real estate broker on the Outer Banks, owner of the Southern Shores Realty from 1956-1970, serving as Southern Shores’ first mayor, and later donating to the Outer Banks History Center a priceless library collection, encompassing the rich North Carolina's history.

In the opinion of many North Carolinians and members of intellectual and environmental circles in other states of America, the efforts of David Stick are enough to inform the population on the dangers of overtaken natural resources so they cannot be spoiled, as Jonathan Tourtellot believes it may happen eventually.