🌲 Discover Nags Head Woods: A Unique Coastal Forest Retreat

Fun Facts, Local History & Why This Area is so special

Discover Nags Head Woods one of the most extraordinary natural environments on the Outer Banks — a rare maritime forest filled with winding trails, freshwater ponds, towering oaks, and centuries of history. Offering something truly special: privacy, nature, and its open to everyone.

🌿 What Makes Nags Head Woods So Special?

Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve is a 1,400‑acre protected maritime forest spanning Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills. It’s one of the largest remaining coastal forests on the East Coast — a quiet, shaded escape from the busy beaches just minutes away. Shielded from the ocean winds by the great sand dunes of Jockey’s Ridge State Park, the Preserve features a fantastic plant and animal life diversity. Towering oaks, hickories, and beech trees, some hundreds of years old, rise from the high ridges and create a canopy of trees more typical of the mountains of the eastern United States.  There are seven plant community types in the Preserve; one of those, the maritime deciduous forest, is globally rare.   Nags Head Woods has 8 self-guided trails. They all have different accessibility features and difficulty level.

⭐ Fun Facts About Nags Head Woods

1. It’s One of the Oldest Maritime Forests on the East Coast

Some trees in Nags Head Woods are over 200 years old, creating a canopy rarely found on barrier islands.

2. More Than 550 Plant Species Thrive Here

The preserve is home to wildflowers, ferns, rare orchids, and massive oaks — a dream setting for nature lovers.

3. Wildlife Is Everywhere

Deer, foxes, owls, turtles, snakes, coyotes, and over 150 species of birds call the forest home. It’s a natural sanctuary right outside your door.

4. It Was Once a Thriving Village

In the 1800s, more than 40 families lived inside Nags Head Woods, complete with a church, school, and farms. Remnants of old homesteads still exist along the trails.

5. It’s Managed by The Nature Conservancy

This ensures long‑term protection, pristine trails, and a peaceful environment for residents and visitors.

Resources

  • Trail Map – Hiking trails are open dawn to dusk every day for foot traffic only. No fee, but please register at the outdoor information counter.
  • Fishing
  • Wildlife
  • Plants 

If you haven’t visited Nags Head Woods yet, now is the perfect time to discover it for yourself. Spend an afternoon hiking, take in the quiet scenery, and see firsthand why homes near this preserve are so special. It’s one of those places that reminds you just how unique the Outer Banks truly is — and why so many people fall in love with living here.