Travel NC With Kids: Jockeys Ridge State Park

Jockeys Ridge State Park © Katrena

Jockeys Ridge State Park, located at 300 West Carolista Drive in Nags Head of North Carolina, is the easternmost state park in NC. The entrance sign is easy to spot near mile marker #12 on South Croatan Highway on the Outer Banks. This park is also the easternmost location on the Mountains to Seas Trail for NC State Parks. You can pick up a free NC Parks passport book and receive two stamps at Jockeys Ridge: one for the park and one for the trail. No admission fee is charged to enter this park, walk on the boardwalk, climb the sand dunes, or enjoy the visitors center. They say for most things you get what you pay for: well, I disagree with that regarding this free park as it was an unusual, interesting, and fun destination for my family!

Jockeys Ridge Sand Dunes at NC Outer Banks © Katrena

My family thoroughly enjoyed visiting Jockeys Ridge. We visited in early July when temperatures reached nearly 100 degrees daily. On hot days, I highly recommend arriving near opening at 8:00 a.m. or in the evening. The park remains open until 9:00 p.m. at the time of year we visited; I hear sunsets are beautiful to enjoy at this location! The park offers a program on the sand dunes at sunset on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Sand Dunes View from Observation Deck at Nags Head in NC © Katrena

A family can easily enjoy the park for several hours, depending on weather conditions and the group's physical abilities. You will probably want to allot a minimum of at least an hour for climbing the dunes and at least 30 minutes to tour the nature center.

NC State Park on Outer Banks © Katrena

I visited this park when I was very young and have vague memories of trying to catch up with my siblings who left me behind while climbing the huge sand dunes. Now I have new memories of trying to catch up to my daughters who were climbing the dunes. It's funny how life often moves full circle.

Handicap Accessible Boardwalk at Jockeys Ridge State Park in NC © Katrena

The state park now offers a nice boardwalk (360 feet long) that is handicap accessible. You can choose to take a trail or the boardwalk to get to the dunes. My family decided to go on the boardwalk. Folks who are not up to climbing the dunes can get a pretty nice view of the sand dunes from the observation deck.

Jockeys Ridge State Park Boardwalk on Outer Banks © Katrena

Parts of the boardwalk are shaded, but the observation deck is not. I recommend a hat or umbrella, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Benches are on the observations deck for those who choose to watch part of the group climb the dunes.

Tips for Visiting Jockeys Ridge State Park © Katrena

Footwear is required on the boardwalk. Sand temperatures can become 30 degrees hotter than air temperatures, so plan to climb with footwear as well. Because we arrived early on a cloudy morning, sand temperatures were quite comfortable, but we could begin to feel the sand warming up just in the time we were hiking early in the morning.

Climb Huge Sand Dune at Jockeys Ridge © Katrena

If you are climbing the Tracks in the Sand trail to the dunes, be prepared for a fairly steep, moderate hike. The sand is soft, so your feet will sink slightly as you begin to climb. The wind can be pretty significant on top of the dunes; when we visited, wind speeds were around 8-14 mph, but wind speeds are often 25 mph or more at the peak. If you hear a siren, lightening has been spotted in the area, and all hikers should move off the dunes immediately.

Beautiful View at Jockeys Ridge State Park © Katrena

If you wear a hat, consider one with a strap under the chin or one that fits very snugly on your head. I would not recommend lathering oneself with sunscreen and then rolling down the dune as one visitor did while we were there; she said her whole body was exfoliated by the time she got to the bottom! I'm sure she was ready for a bath after covering all of her skin with sand. Spigots are located next to the restrooms for rinsing one's feet after hiking in the sand.

Flying a Kite at Jockeys Ridge State Park © Katrena

If you plan to stay on the dunes for a while, I recommend packing drinking water, particularly if the weather is hot. Several folks brought kites when we visited, like this family from Massachusetts who has visited Jockeys Ridge several times over the years. The sand blows with the wind; be careful with cameras and keep them covered when not in use to protect the lens and movable parts of the camera. I made quite a few pictures when we visited without issue, but I did keep my camera covered between shots. The sand hit our lower legs with gusts of wind; small children might want to be carried if the sand is blowing in their face. You might also consider safety glasses or goggles if the winds are particularly high.

View of the Sound at Jockeys Ridge State Park © Katrena

My crew simply climbed the sand dunes and enjoyed the amazing view. We could see the boardwalk and observations deck from some areas of the dunes. We enjoyed a view of the Sound on the western side and the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern side. I believe visitors could walk all the way down to the Sound, but we enjoyed walking around the top and talking with some of the other visitors on the dunes.

View from Observation Deck at Jockeys Ridge State Park © Katrena

Several sporting activities in addition to hiking are available, such as sandboarding (designated areas and times), hang gliding (regulated), and kiteboarding. Those who want to learn a new skill might want to take scheduled hang gliding lessons here. Several picnic tables are located at the park, so the family might want to enjoy a meal at the park as well.

Educational Activities at Jockeys Ridge State Park © Katrena

Folks interested in education will find a wealth of informative boards along the boardwalk and an interactive educational nature center. We saw a lot of these ant lions (see photo above) while visiting - they are like huge dragonflies. A knowledgeable ranger gave us all sorts of information about the ecosystem and items on display in the nature center. The park also offers a variety of information sessions, such as Blackbeard's Treasure Hunt (registration required), a program focused on using a map and compass.

The park works to conserve natural resources; I hope future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy the many wonderful natural resources for years to come. Using wind to create energy is just one conservation method employed at this state park. The dunes are constantly changing, so the pictures you see as you read this article will certainly be different from pictures you may make at the state park.

Other people visiting the park offered great stories about their previous experiences at the park and other local areas to visit as well. Van, a local visitor from Columbia NC enjoying Jockeys Ridge with two beautiful dogs, gave us all sorts of information about the park and suggested also visiting the Nags Head Woods Preserve, a park with a very different ecosystem less than three miles from the dunes.

Rangers were traveling on motorized vehicles. I'd love to see rides to the top offered for those with mobility challenges, but traffic is very limited to protect this fragile ecosystem.
UPDATE: On August 5, I received a nice email from Candis George from Jockeys Ridge State Park, who let me know that they offer free all-terrain vehicle rides to the top for those who are mobility impaired. They need 24-hour advance notice in order to provide the rides. That's a great opportunity!

Jockeys Ridge State Park is near several other interesting activities in the area, such as the Wrights Brothers National Memorial, Hatteras Lighthouse, the N.C. Aquarium at Roanoke, and Nags Head Woods Preserve. Check out my site map on this web site for a variety of articles featuring many NC destinations.

Visit Jockeys Ridge State Park official web site for directions, hours, registration for programs, and more.

Additional articles by Katrena

Beautiful Hike

Thanks for visiting my Travel NC With Kids blog. Have you visited Jockeys Ridge State Park or the Outer Banks? Feel free to comment in the comment section below!

Travel NC With Kids

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Jockeys Ridge State Park - One Heckuva Sand Dune!

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