Jockey's Ridge State Park
If you’re looking for a serious sand dune, look no further than Jockey’s Ridge. This is the biggest sand dune on the entire East Coast, and it’s one of the best places to enjoy some high-flying fun. With steady winds and a sky free of power lines, this 420-acre park is a kite-flyer’s dream.
It’s also perfect for hang-gliding. If you’d like to give it a try, lessons are available through the hang-gliding facility at the Visitor Center. If you’d rather stick to the ground, it’s still fun to sit back and watch while these colorful gliders sail through the air. The view from the top of the ridge is incredible—especially at sunset.
You’ll also find more than sand at Jockey’s Ridge. If you’d like to take a closer look at the natural environment of the dune, there are a couple of hiking trails and a boardwalk that you can explore. Nature programs are offered in the summer, and many are geared toward kids. It’s also a nice place for a family picnic.
And once you’ve run down the dunes a couple of times, you may want to cool off with a quick dip in the water. It may seem like you’re visiting a desert, but convenient sound-side access makes it easy to swim, kayak, and windsurf.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park Visitor Information:
March and October: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
So how much sand actually makes up these enormous dunes? According to State Park estimates, there’s enough to fill up 6,000,000 dump trucks with sand.