Jockey's Ridge State Park
Jockey's Ridge State Park
Jockey's Ridge State Park
4.5
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
About
Two of the highest sand dunes on the East Coast are located here, providing excellent take-off points for hang gliders.
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71 within 3 miles
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55 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Yea WHouston, Texas516 contributionsNice sand dunes in NC!I heard about this place on Instagram years ago and forgot about it. I bought a travel action and this place was on the list so I had to make the trek. It was certainly worth it. It was a cloudy and cold day when I visited but still good. If I'm ever in that area again, I'll make the trip there, hoping it'll be better weather.Visited March 2024Traveled soloWritten March 11, 2024
- tennesseeangie2 contributionsWow! Never seen anything like this before!On top of the HUGE dune is a perfect place to watch the sunset! Such a fun and unusual experience! Websites all said the park was open 8 AM to 8 PM - but it was open to 9 PM, allowing time for us to see the sunset. A little bit of climb up to get there, but totally worth it!Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 14, 2024
- mgmorganToms River, New Jersey57 contributionsAmazing, a must seeAmazing. Didn't know what to expect. All I can say is, it's a must see! Just a heads up, you will be walking in soft sand and up and down hills. I didn't walk all of it, as I have a bumb knee, but was able to see and walk some. They do have a parasaling school there, and a little information inside.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 26, 2024
- Brian MIndianapolis, Indiana49 contributionsDo it!I went here to get some hiking in and to experience the tallest dunes on the east coast. To start off the park is free to enter, park, visit - nice! I’d never been here so I went inside to ask where to go. The person I interacted with was very friendly and helpful. I made my way down the boardwalk and onto the sand. A little hike from there and I could see the dunes. I spent my time hiking up and down the dunes, taking in the views and made it to the water. On the way back I took a detour into the wooded area - where it felt 20 degrees cooler! Overall I hiked only about two miles. Short, but fun and a good time. If I did it again, I’d bring a kite. It’s a popular thing to do at the dunes!Visited July 2024Traveled soloWritten July 31, 2024
- BillyMike52Nashville, North Carolina103 contributionsMore Than Just a Pile of SandI've heard about this place for all my life but never took the time to go. I was blown away by the majesty of a large pile of sand. We climbed to the top of the dunes and just stood there admiring the view. There is also a small museum area and a film about the origins of the park.Visited November 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten November 22, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
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Tiffanyjim
Marion, IA1,664 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
This is our second year visiting the Outer Banks and we loved this just as much as last year. Decided to bring entire family to experience this beautiful park. I originally scheduled a trip up the dunes during the day with the park ranger on an atv at 1:00 in the afternoon so our mother would be able to experience this. Well the week we visited was extremely hot and humid 9/7-9/15/22 and right in the middle of the day so we decided to cancel this. The park ranger stated they only do day trips. Anyway we ended up visiting our last night for the sunset. I was a little disappointed mom didn’t get to join us on the trek and was even more disappointed after seeing the ranger on the atv hauling people up the hills. Honestly maybe that was a tour as well, really unsure. Needless to say she was fine as she knew she wouldn’t be able to try it. The rest of us hiked to the top and saw the most amazing sunset you could imagine, just breathtaking. Couldn’t have had a better last night in the OBX!
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margaret B
11 contributions
Mar 2021
This place was amazing! The size of the sand dunes is breath-taking and other-worldly. It rivals some of the vistas we've seen on the West Coast.
We first went to the park in the evening to see the sunset over the sound, which was fantastic (lots of other people had the same idea, but fortunately, there was plenty space to spread out). We returned the following day and saw the small, but informative museum in the visitor center then returned to the dunes for the best kite-flying we've ever had. I would recommend finding your way to the water on the other side fo the dune to see some adorable little beaches, which would be good for a picnic.
Tip: Be ready for sand in your shoes. We were there when the weather was cool and you could walk barefoot, but in the summer, the sand will get scalding hot. Also wear sunscreen and bring a hat. There is not much shade. Finally, be ready for sore legs the next day after going up and down the sandy hills.
We first went to the park in the evening to see the sunset over the sound, which was fantastic (lots of other people had the same idea, but fortunately, there was plenty space to spread out). We returned the following day and saw the small, but informative museum in the visitor center then returned to the dunes for the best kite-flying we've ever had. I would recommend finding your way to the water on the other side fo the dune to see some adorable little beaches, which would be good for a picnic.
Tip: Be ready for sand in your shoes. We were there when the weather was cool and you could walk barefoot, but in the summer, the sand will get scalding hot. Also wear sunscreen and bring a hat. There is not much shade. Finally, be ready for sore legs the next day after going up and down the sandy hills.
Written April 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DJ M
3 contributions
Sep 2022
We loved Jockey's Ridge State Park! In fact, this was probably where we spent the majority of our one-week vacation in OBX. We started with the kite festival on 9/11 where we could join the fun of flying kites as well as watch stunt and show kites. There were also huge kites flying on display (including patriotic ones for 9/11). The stunt kites inspired us to buy a power foil and came back twice during the week to fly it. We topped the week off with a hang-gliding lesson from Kitty Hawk Kites. I highly recommend it!
Written September 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joyce R
38 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
There is no charge to enter the park or to park.
We went to try sand boarding. It was more successful for some in our family than others. We found waxing the board after each slide worked best. It also seemed as though the heavier the surfer the better success they had. It cost $25 to rent a board for 4 hours. The sand gets very hot so make certain you wear shoes.
We also flew kites from the top of the dunes. Great wind. Great flying. We saw some people trying hang gliding but we did not try that.
Another day we went there to the sound side beach to swim as the ocean side was very windy and rough. The beach and the water was very calm. However it was very shallow when we were there. It did not get deep for almost 1/2 mile out. It was mostly knee to waist deep on an adult. There were also times when the water had quite a bit of grass floating on it near the shore areas. However, beyond the grass it was lovely to float in the water especially with a noodle or tube. It would be a great place to take young children or someone who needed shallow quiet water for any reason.
We went to try sand boarding. It was more successful for some in our family than others. We found waxing the board after each slide worked best. It also seemed as though the heavier the surfer the better success they had. It cost $25 to rent a board for 4 hours. The sand gets very hot so make certain you wear shoes.
We also flew kites from the top of the dunes. Great wind. Great flying. We saw some people trying hang gliding but we did not try that.
Another day we went there to the sound side beach to swim as the ocean side was very windy and rough. The beach and the water was very calm. However it was very shallow when we were there. It did not get deep for almost 1/2 mile out. It was mostly knee to waist deep on an adult. There were also times when the water had quite a bit of grass floating on it near the shore areas. However, beyond the grass it was lovely to float in the water especially with a noodle or tube. It would be a great place to take young children or someone who needed shallow quiet water for any reason.
Written September 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarvestRecreations
Pigeon Forge, TN138 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
There is not a lot to look at. I went decades ago and walked out to a huge sand dune. Maybe this time I went to the wrong place, but now the ridge is all over grown with shrubs and weeds so its not pure sand. There is a view deck we walked out to and thought, wheres all the sand. Maybe I'm missing something? People used to hand glide off the dune, can they still do that? Don't know where!
Written January 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan556
Rock Hill, SC1,140 contributions
Apr 2023
Our friends all told us to walk the dunes here when they found out we were visiting the Outer Banks for the first time. My wife and I did just that, early in the evening after dinner, when the sun was weaker and the temperature was cooler. We trudged our way to the top...and the vista was amazing! Definitely worth the climb!
Written April 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chrissiebear101
10 contributions
Jun 2021
The dunes are beautiful! This hike was mostly on soft sand; we went at 4:00pm which I'd recommend because otherwise I think the sand might be hot?! I did nearly the entire hike barefoot. It definitely works your glutes and calves a bit when you walk uphill in the dry sand. The dunes make for beautiful photographs; there was thunder rolling in and we had to rush out because you are very exposed! Would definitely come here again just to take in the site.
Written June 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SuperAdventure
Williamsburg, VA109 contributions
Jul 2021
We loved Jockey Ridge State Park. It is fun hiking on the dunes. Our favorite part of going here was that we did the sand boarding. You can rent a sandboard from kitty hawk kites. I forget the price but it was reasonable and they give you wax which is essential in getting the board to work. I also took a skimboard. We used the wax on that and it worked as well. The sandboard you rent allows you to stand up or sit down. Its almost like sledding on sand. You can also watch the people learning to hang glide. Its free to get in so I think its a must see place if your in the area. It can be tough walking in the sand but it is fun.
Written December 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cynthia L
Washington DC, DC559 contributions
Aug 2022
Im not going to lie and say I wasn't skeptical or what I would really get out of sand dunes toting little ones no less. I was very wrong. Parking lot deceiving my looked as though not many people were there but this place is pretty big and all the people there still didn't make us feel like we were all on top of each other. Sand is absolutely soft and pillowy here. The views, sunset, breeze, and kites flying were spectacular. I def worked out my calves hiking some of those hills with my 20 lb little one.
Tips:
They've got restrooms at the entrance!
Best to come here when the sun isn't beating down on you on a hot day (like in the evening after dinner during sunset)
Bring your A-game because this is a photographers paradise
Tips:
They've got restrooms at the entrance!
Best to come here when the sun isn't beating down on you on a hot day (like in the evening after dinner during sunset)
Bring your A-game because this is a photographers paradise
Written August 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tailsock
Raleigh, NC1,005 contributions
Jun 2021
This was my 2nd visit to Jockey's Ridge with the most recent being within a group of families with small kids. We were here to fly kites on what was probably the hottest day of the year.
From the parking lot it's about a 10-13 minute walk to the tallest dunes. You'll see hang gliders in the distance along with people flying kites. The sand was pretty darn hot and by the time we got to where the others were flying kites, we were already drenched in sweat. We flew kites for about 30 minutes before the kids began to complain about the heat. (Mid June) I experienced better winds in 2012 the first time I visited. It looks like the restrooms are open again so keep in mind if you have little ones.
If it's gonna be hot be sure and get a spot under one of the huge trees in the parking lot. There's a picnic table underneath one we were lucky to grab for refreshments afterward and just get out of the merciless fury of the sun's rays. Some of the dunes are quite steep so I don't recommend this for the elderly or those with mobility issues.
From the parking lot it's about a 10-13 minute walk to the tallest dunes. You'll see hang gliders in the distance along with people flying kites. The sand was pretty darn hot and by the time we got to where the others were flying kites, we were already drenched in sweat. We flew kites for about 30 minutes before the kids began to complain about the heat. (Mid June) I experienced better winds in 2012 the first time I visited. It looks like the restrooms are open again so keep in mind if you have little ones.
If it's gonna be hot be sure and get a spot under one of the huge trees in the parking lot. There's a picnic table underneath one we were lucky to grab for refreshments afterward and just get out of the merciless fury of the sun's rays. Some of the dunes are quite steep so I don't recommend this for the elderly or those with mobility issues.
Written June 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scenic38079760917
Wilmington, North Carolina
I was wondering how far this is from Beaufort. I would like to know how to get to the Dunes and if there is a charge for sliding and if a boogie board is good to slide down on?
Written July 20, 2021
There is no charge for sliding down the dunes. A boogie board would be great for it!
Written March 18, 2022
Tour46464166955
Atlanta, Georgia
Is there a cost to see the dunes? I just have a small SUV and can't afford motels every night are there places or Campsites that are affordable where I can park fairly long term?I also have been wanting to see Port Hatteras for years is that nearby? My children are grown and I'm a woman traveling alone does anyone have any suggestions? I would be so grateful Thanks ahead of time
Written May 31, 2021
Jockey's Ridge (the dunes) are free. It's a lovely walk and there is a picnic area, too, if you are packing a meal. Take a drive down NC-12 to Pea Island because the dunes line the roadway. There are spots to pull over, take a walk over, and view the ocean. (Don't know much about camping, though. Hope this helps.)
Written June 6, 2021
I'd agree with others. Sand is difficult to walk in. If you're a hiker and have the baby in a chest carrier, you'd be fine, not alot of shade either, so I'd not recommend it!
Written October 4, 2020
Journey499243
Surigao del Norte Province, Philippines
What is formed when you slide past the cardboard?
Written September 26, 2020
Journey499243
Surigao del Norte Province, Philippines
what happened to the sand as you slide past the cardboard?
Written September 26, 2020
We did not use cardboard to slide. Those who did left a impact trail on the sand that was quickly gone by the winds blowing over the sands.
Written September 27, 2020
Is sand sledding allowed in the summer months?
Written June 4, 2020
I did not see anyone sledding. I know that sandboarding is allowed at Jockey's Ridge.
Written June 5, 2020
Does anyone know if they have picnic tables in the parking area?
Written May 14, 2020
From the Jockey's Ridge State Park Website:
Can we picnic at Jockey's Ridge? Yes. There are eight picnic shelters. Each shelter has two tables and a grill. Drinking water and restrooms are located nearby.
Written May 14, 2020
According to a website: "A Coastal Recreational Fishing License is required to fish on the Outer Banks. Children under 16 are exempt. An individual does not need a license for charter boat and pier fishing, which are covered by a blanket license."
Written May 27, 2019
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