Jockey's Ridge State Park

Overview

Jockey's Ridge State Park protects the tallest natural sand dune system on the US East Coast, a shifting, largely treeless dune field in Nags Head. It draws hikers, hang gliders, sunset watchers, and kite flyers, with sweeping views over the ocean and Roanoke Sound from the summit.

North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail ends (or begins) here — a marked terminus within the park's grounds marks the spot where the statewide trail, which starts in the Great Smoky Mountains, finally reaches saltwater.