This little park was not something that I expected to see in this area but when you think about it,…read morethe idea is very smart and really serves a purpose for both tourists and locals. The below page from AB's website shows that this place is only two years old and that its $1.6 million dollar cost was done as a public/private partnership. I've been to many beaches up & down the east coast and I honestly can't think of an area that has something quite like this. atlanticbeach-nc.com/departments/parks-recreation/ ABTP offers the following: Free live music on Thursday nights from mid-June thru August. Free family friendly movies (with the exception of them showing Jaws last month which was an interesting choice with the shark attack that happened in June at Fort Macon) on Wednesday nights June thru August. Skate Park Splashpad Playground/swingset Basketball Court Minigolf for $5 per person and it's free for ages 6 and under The main building which sells snacks & concessions and has restrooms along with free Wifi. The concession area and the golf are open 10-10 daily and it goes without saying that they are closed along with things like the splashpad seasonally. Compared with beaches in New Jersey or Maryland, Atlantic Beach is very understated in the amenities that it offers but I don't think that is necessarily a detriment. If you want all the bells and whistles it's not that much further to go to Myrtle or head north to KDH or OCMD and you'll find what you're looking for. But if you want quiet and relaxed with a very nice small town "homey" feeling then this is the spot you want. A+

I brought the family down here for the beach. Luckily I found a skatepark tucked in right at…read moreAtlantic Beach. I dropped them off in the sand and headed for the sweet concrete love of a Team Pain park. Ledges, gaps, stairs, and goodies for skaters of all skill levels. I'd definitely come back. If the fam won't skate next time, there's a putt putt course just feet away. It's also right around the corner from Finch's Skate Shop, which I was lucky enough to find while we're here. Kudos to the good folks of Atlantic Beach for giving locals and tourists a solid skate spot.

FAVORITE PLACE HERE. We spent hours finding the most amazing shells. The water is crystal clear and…read morethe wanes aren't bad at all. I would come back in a heart beat.

We had so much fun on Shackleford Island. We saw so many horses, found a lot of cool shells, and…read morethe beach was beautiful. It's about a 30 minute ferry ride from Beaufort. There is a restroom but NO amenities or food available for purchase. Bring everything you need with you. Once we arrived, there was a tour guide but it wasn't much of a tour. She walked us to the other side of the island to show us two horses on the beach and then walked all the way back to where we started to show us where to find the best shells. Her "tour" lasted about 30 minutes. We did most of the exploring on our own and that's when we found the majority of the horses. As long as you aren't looking for a super guided tour, this is a great day trip!

Beautiful Fort and unique American history. Take the tour! It is free, educational, and…read moreinteresting. It was only about 30 minutes and our tour guide was wonderful.

Immensely beautiful park! The dunes are giant! We went a few times at sunset and things were pretty…read morequiet. The park is well maintained and the scenery is just stunning. We plan to return and spend more time there in the future.

Hidden gem! Lovely find with easy trails, benches and views of both the marsh and trees. We only…read moresaw one other person there, so it was very meditative.

Great little nature trail! Just park near the Bojangles to access the trailhead…read more We only saw about 4 other groups of people on the trail the day we went. It opens up into the marsh with some pretty views! There are also some awesome live oaks along the trail!

The Battle of Newport Barracks Civil War Memorial in Downtown Newport represents the life at a…read moremilitary barracks during the Civil War. Admission is free but they do accept donations. A parking lot is available as well. The Newport Barracks was a Civil War Outpost that guarded a railroad trestle bridge. The railroad was used as a supply line to get supplies and equipment to New Bern. 900 Union soldiers tried to hold off 2500 Confederate soldiers who were there from Wilmington trying to regain control over New Bern. They fought for over ten hours before retreating but set fire to the depot and the railroad and bridges to destroy equipment and supplies. .

This is a great representation of a Civil War Confederate Camp. They have a cannon, several tents…read moreand other items from camp life. I especially like the cooking examples as well as the wash area and blacksmith shop. They have buildings there made of local materials and with craftmanship which has withstood the test of time. I will take some of these ideas home to put into practice in my own yard. The demonstration camp is a sobering reminder of the hard work and ultimate sacrifice Americans gave during this turbulent time in our history. Remembering is important. This camp provides and opportunity for Americans and visitors of all ages to see back in time and reflect. Well worth the time while in Newport, whose old town has other treasures to discover!

If you are a beginner hiker or just looking for an nice walk, here is an excellent start. We walked…read morearound for a good hour and saw some beautiful views.

I wouldn't call this a pond. It is an extensive body of water. It is a good sized lake. Some…read morewaterlillies have entered it. Otherwise it is a very beautiful example of the round or oval lakes that occurred in the area and throughout the southeast in the old days. Many of them were drained leaving this lake to be important as a source of knowledge of interest. The forest surrounding the Patsy Pond Nature Trail is a joy and a wonder to behold. A section of it, however, has been seized upon by a small hunting group and each year or two they burn it out to remove the unique flora and understory plants. They do that, they claim, to open the land to deer hunting because deer, they say, like the open areas. Because the area is also part of a managed forest (where loblolly pines are encouraged to grow and planted in long rows, this idea about deer and hunting doesn't make much traction. Shooting at animals while standing (more often sitting) on a trail drinking beer is not my idea of hunting. One year I was in the area and the North Carolina Department of the Environment had a 'controlled' burn. It torched a wide area. Upon reporting the flames, which reached more than 120 feet in the air at times and emitted acrid smoke, no authorities took notice and did not question what was happening. Disappointing to say the least - however this area butts up on the Croatan National Forest and this trail skirts at its deepest point. That area is wild and has been for a long time. I recommend the Patsy Pond Nature Trail as one of the entry points to that wilderness. Bring all protective clothing with you.

Fort Macon is always on our list of places to visit while we are in AB and never disappoints…read more We were there in Nov. 2023 and it was peaceful and empty. We had a chance to really spend some valuable time seeing the exhibits and exploring the fort. We are always in awe of the feat in actually building the fort and the perseverance it took to accomplish that. in wool clothing. in the heat. with the refreshing ocean right there. Bring your kids, bring your grandchildren, this is a hands-on fort, but watch your step as the fort was built for war, not safety.

Fort Macon is a great spot for a free and historic activity to take a break from the beach. The…read moreplace is very informative and touches on the for various purposes throughout the years as well as local wildlife. There's an inside museum and when you walk the floor, you can go into different rooms to view different exhibits. There's some things that could use renovations as far as the exhibits go, but overall it's very informative. They have an on-site tour guide that will give you a free tour or answer any kind of questions you may have, she was very informative. The ocean view at the top of the fort is breathtaking. Bonus: there's a souvenir penny roller machine with various designs to choose from