One of my absolute favorite things about living in North Carolina is the proximity to many different gorgeous beaches. As a lifelong NC resident, I often get asked about the best North Carolina beaches for families. There are so many great options to choose from, but I’m sharing some of my favorite spots below!
Holden Beach, NC
“The Family Beach” is very literal for us. My mom grew up vacationing to Holden with her parents and grandparents, my sister and I grew up spending Spring Break & summers there, and now our kids are lucky enough to visit multiple times a year, too.
We stay on the west end and the beach is SO wide and gorgeous. We love walking around the inlet and always find incredible shells – conchs, olives, and sand dollars are some of our faves!
We love the shrimp burgers at Provision Company, Beaches N Cream has the literal best ice cream I’ve ever had, and there is nothing more fun than getting Sunset Slush directly from the cart on the beach (bring cash!).
If kids aren’t sleeping well (or honestly even if they are), Ocean Blvd Coffee with a side of a sound side playground is the best way to spend the early morning hours. One last honorable mention is our favorite restaurant, The Sugar Shack, which is in Ocean Isle Beach, but always worth the drive for us.
For more Holden Beach favorites, check out my full post over on my travel blog, Chasing Coastlines! In full honesty, I think Holden is the actual best North Carolina beach for families.
Surf City, NC
The amount and colors of seaglass you can find here are unreal. Especially considering it is the clearest blue water on the coast. My twins also found 284 sharks teeth in ONE. TRIP. Do with that what you will, but they think it’s awesome.
Surf City has come a long way with restaurants and coffee shops over the past 20+ years. Some of our current favorites are: Sunrise Bagel Co, Sundial Coffee, Scoops Microcreamery, Margaritas (Mexican food – do not miss the blood orange margarita!), and White Crab Coffee & Books.
Surf City also has some of the best playground options and we love going to the point at sunset! Don’t swim in the inlet, but enjoy the gorgeous views & shelling around here.
This spot is also less than a 3 hour drive from the triangle, making it JUST as accessible as Wrightsville for a day trip (and usually less crowded). It’s my preferred day trip spot, but I’m clearly biased.
More info about Surf City is over on Chasing Coastlines, too!
Atlantic Beach, NC
My adopted home away from home. I grew up taking annual trips to Emerald Isle (another great NC beach!) with my family, but we spent much more time at Holden Beach than anywhere else. However, once I started traveling to the beach with Chelsea in high school, I grew to know and love AB as much as she promised I would.
Chelsea has much more knowledge of this area than I do, so I’ll let her tell you all you need to know!
Day Trip to Cape Lookout National Seashore
Maybe my favorite day trip option over the summer in NC. I’d do a day trip to Bald Head or Ocracoke too, but Lookout will forever be my favorite. I love the quiet peace & wide open feeling you get when you step off the ferry on the island.
We wrote a whole post with details that are SUPER helpful, especially if you haven’t done this before. If you’re traveling with littles, make sure to read that post for pro tips that will make the day much easier for everyone!
Outer Banks (OBX)
I ADORE the Outer Banks. Driving down the highway feels straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel (or A Perfect Storm if you’re more pessimistic).
Highly recommend staying right on the sound in Avon. The sunset views are absolutely incredible and you can kayak (and maybe even fall in and swim – don’t ask…) year round. We love exploring all of the beaches and lighthouses and our favorite evening activity is takeout pizza and a bonfire on the beach. With a clear night you can see the Milky Way.
Bald Head Island
Getting to and from the island on the ferry is part of the (off season – I don’t love the in season lines) fun. Then you get to drive golf carts all around, park in golf-cart-sized parking spaces and use golf-cart-sized stop signs?! Yes, please. We love exploring all of the different beaches and climbing Old Baldy. The tide pools and sand dunes can’t be beat, and I love the view of Southport and the mainland from the island.
Like the OBX, I prefer Bald Head in the shoulder (May & September) or off season. Thanks to NC weather, swimming is still possible and there aren’t any crowds, which we really appreciate, especially on these smaller islands!
If you’re headed to the coast, don’t miss our post about the best beach gear for families. This took awhile to pull together, but I don’t mess around with my beach gear and it has served us well over the years! From taking infants (yes, multiple at once) to four kids 4&under to now, being smart about what we’re hauling to the beach makes a huge difference in the ease and fun of the day!
Which NC beach are you visiting this summer?!
Caroline Merrill is a Raleigh Newborn Photographer that offers lifestyle at home and on location maternity, newborn and family photography. She serves families in Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, and on the NC coast.
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