The southern most portion of the “mainland” before crossing over to Hatteras Island and the National Seashore, Nags Head reportedly gets its name from land pirates who tied lanterns around the necks of mules or horses to trick offshore merchant ships into thinking the lights were from safely anchored boats. As those lured vessels became trapped on sandbars, the land pirates would row out and pillage the cargo.
As the world became more civilized and pirates were chased off, Nags Head became known in the 1830s as more of a resort area, in part because of the unique sand dunes that afforded visitor fantastic views of both the ocean and the sound.
Today, visitors to the area still enjoy the largest sand dune on the East Coast—Jockey’s Ridge—as a great place to fly a kite or learn how to hang glide. Nags Head offers a number of oceanfront hotels and is far enough away from the malls and shops of the northern towns to offer a slightly slower paced way of life, without skimping on restaurants, shops, bars and entertainment.
