Further north in the quaint village of Corolla, visitors can stroll the grounds of the once-regal Whalehead Club. Built as hunt club for northern industrialists in the late 19th century, the club is being restored and serves as a wildlife museum. Adjacent to the Club stands the red brick Currituck lighthouse, open for climbing in the summer. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore begins south of Nags Head and encompasses more than 75 miles of pristine beach from Oregon Inlet to Ocracoke Village. The Seashore was created in 1954 and is the oldest in the country.
Many individual attractions await visitors.
Just south of Nags head is one of the best beaches on the Outer Banks, Coquina Beach. Named after the preponderance of small clams that litter the beach in the summer months, this wide white shore is a popular spot for locals. The remains of the schooner Laura A. Barnes rest here, and on the west side of Highway 12 stands the stately Bodie Island Lighthouse. Highway 12 crosses Oregon Inlet via the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, and from its apex, drivers get a good look at one of the most dynamic and changeable inlets on the east coast. On the north side of the inlet, fishermen can board a charter for a day offshore at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.