Take a stroll down 56 miles of completely undeveloped beach

Visitors love North Carolina’s coast because it offers everything from wild, unspoiled beaches to all the most modern accommodations and activities a beachgoer could desire. North Carolina’s Crystal Coast is unique in that its 85 miles of shoreline include just about every type of beach experience, including 56 miles of beautiful island beaches that are so undeveloped they don’t even have a road on them. This is the longest stretch of undeveloped beach in the eastern United States. The beaches are part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, which is open to the public but accessible only by boat. Visitors can enjoy tent camping or renting a “rustic” cabin at Long Point and Great Island. The cabin camps can only be reached by boat, adding an element of both privacy and adventure. The park’s sandy beaches are also prime locations for fishing, shelling, swimming, birding and simply relaxing. Cape Lookout is also home to the 150-year-old Cape Lookout Lighthouse, which is open for climbing, and the ghost town at Portsmouth Village.