Best Beaches in Outer Banks?

Considering a stay next year with family and 2 young grandchildren.What are the nicest guarded beaches in the Outer Banks, with nearby (walkable) quiet oceanside or oceanfront rentals? Any suggestions for rental homes or condos that sleep at least 8?

Best Beaches in Outer Banks?

I would look in the Frisco or Hatteras village area there is a nice guarded beach between the two as well as ocean front homes close by

Best Beaches in Outer Banks?

We stayed in Rodanthe last month and found it a little too secluded for us, plus the surf was very rough all week. I suggest staying in Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills or Nags Head. These are the most commercialized areas of the OBX and will give the grandkids, and the adults, lots of things to do and see. There are over two dozen reputable rental agencies for you to chose from, although Surf or Sound has been sticking it to a few renters lately with bogus damage charges. We%26#39;ve used both Resort Realty (Prudential) and Kitty Hawk rental agencies. No problems with either. Get cracking on your search now. Lots of places have been reserved for next year already. I may be wrong, but I don%26#39;t remember seeing lifeguard stations, they just roam about on ATV%26#39;s. We always rent a house with a private pool so I don%26#39;t have to worry about the kids and their safety at the beach with a rough surf. All of the rentals we%26#39;ve used had pools surrounded with fences and locking gates. Check out VisitorsGuideNet.com or sunnydayguide.com for suggestions of things to do and places to see, then chose your favorite area and start looking for a house/condo.

Steve

Actually, some areas have both patrolling lifeguards and lifeguard stands. I found this site that lists where the stands are based on the beach:

outerbanks.org/visitor_services/beach_inform…

Good luck with your search!

MB

Travelling with small children is always tricky. The ocean can be rough, the winds can be blowing sand, the jellyfish might be everywhere.

We always rented a house with swimming pool privileges, so the kids could play and we could relax. While they enjoyed the beach, we wouldn%26#39;t dare take our eyes off of them. I wouldn%26#39;t rely on a lifeguard for their safety no matter where we stayed.

You shouldn%26#39;t have a problem finding a home to rent that sleeps eight. Sometimes it%26#39;s hard to find anything smaller.

The best beach for you is in Duck. Quiet, within a walk to shops. Try Schooner Ridge community. It has life guards, a nice recreation center with indoor/outdoor pool and an outdoor pool right at the dune on the beach, so if the waves are rough or the water a bit cool, the pool is a great substitute.

We have stayed for the past 5 years at the Dune Lantern condos at pilepost 15.5 in Nags Head. The beach there is guarded, and has a public parking area, but it has never been overly crowded. The beach is also wonderful for long walks in either direction. Last summer was the first time that the surf was so rough that they did put up the no swimming flags for two days (week of June 9). Other years, that hasn%26#39;t been a problem. We stay in Dune Lantern #301 and it is like a second home...beautifully maintained. There is an oceanfront balcony with sliding doors off the living room and the master bedroom. We feel like guests in someone%26#39;s home, rather than renting an impersonal hotel room. It sleeps 6 with two bedrooms and a pull out couch and is handled by Nags Head Realty.

Go to Dune Lantern. It is on MP 15.5.

We typically rent Unit 304, found on resortrealty.com (Number 5691) but 5693 is also nice (unit 302).

Avoid first floor units due to gnats from the dunes

We have been staying here for 7 years and love it.

304 is our favorite, with kid-friendly furniture and nice amenities like a washer and dryer in the unit.

The beach is great. The lifeguard stand can be seen from the balcony and you can even read their chalkboard, that%26#39;s how close you are.

sleeps several comfortably - queen bed in master, twin beds in 2nd room, sleeper sofa in living room, and large couch/loveseat combo unit in main room.

Definitely worth trying out!!!!!

The dolphins swim by daily.

Never had a bad vacation there.

best wishes!

We have stayed in Corolla for the last 8 years with children of all ages. Many private homes have hot tubs and private pools. Our personal favorite subdivision is Crown Point which also offers a community pool. The beaches are very wide with white sand and the water does not seen as rough as further north as in Nags Head area. Hope this helps!

The best beach period (officially chosen so by Travel Channel%26#39;s Dr. Beach!) is the lifeguarded beach on Ocracoke. The only problem is that it%26#39;s three miles out of town, heading up Route 12 to the Hatteras ferry. My mom and I loved it when we were there two summers ago, but there aren%26#39;t any beaches within easy walking distance, especially with small children, in Ocracoke.

Next best with easy walk to the beach would probably be Frisco. There aren%26#39;t many commercial establishments in Frisco, but if you get an ocean side house, you don%26#39;t even have to cross Route 12 to get to the dunes. I don%26#39;t recall lifeguards there, though; but as an earlier post said, you%26#39;d want to keep your eyes on little ones regardless. Banks sand is much, much looser than Atlantic City or Rehoboth sand, btw, so be prepared to carry the kids to and from the beach. I was really surprised the first time I went in 1999 at how hard it is to walk in the sand! It%26#39;s also very hot until you get close to the water, so invest in water shoes (not flip-flops) for everyone.

My family%26#39;s going this summer the week of June 8. Beach Music on Marlin Drive isn%26#39;t as stacked with amenities as some of the newer houses, but it%26#39;s convenient and adequate.

The farther North you go in OBX the better the beaches -- wider, less crowded ... Try Corolla. Corolla Light is our favorite because it has 3 pools next to the beach, tennis courts, an indoor sports center for rainy days with a pool ... The Lighthouse Villas are very close to the ocean and some even have ocean views. They sleep up to about 10 people.