Corolla Recreation
Looking for something to do beyond the beach at Corolla? You won’t have trouble finding fun here. From a wild horse search to a kayak tour, from go-carts to 18 holes on the links, there are plenty of recreational opportunities available on the northern Outer Banks.
Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary
- Pine Island, Corolla
An unmarked trail leads through this 5,000-acre wildlife sanctuary, a protected habitat for birds, deer, rabbits and a variety of plants. Park at The Sanderling Inn to access this 2.5-mile soundside path through a portion of the sanctuary.
Back Country Kayak Tours
- Corolla Light Town Center, N.C. Highway 12 and Austin Street, Corolla
- (252) 453-0877
Some of the best wildlife viewing and paddling on the Outer Banks is in the remote northern waterways of the Currituck Sound near the Virginia border. Back Country’s unique 4WD and Kayak Expedition carries small groups and families by 4WD Suburban through 30 miles of off-road beach and sand trail to paddle from the private Spanish Mustang Reserve where they have exclusive access. The waters here are protected from wind and current and the tandem kayaks are super stable. Naturalist guides, who are also your kayak instructors, will explain Outer Banks ecology and point out local wildlife. Back Country limits space to just eight people on each tour, which minimizes overuse. More often than not you will even see the Mustangs from the kayaks if not from the Suburban. Each tour is three-plus hours and is the best of both worlds, an off-road 4WD excursion and a pristine kayak tour. Reservations are required.
Back Country Wild Horse Safari
- Corolla Light Town Center, N.C. Highway 12, Corolla
- (252) 453-0877
Scott Trabue’s Wild Horse Safari is a unique off-road eco-adventure that will deliver you and your family directly to the wild Spanish Mustangs that have thrived on the northern Outer Banks for nearly 500 years. Your naturalist guide will carry you by 4WD Suburban through 30 miles of beaches, dune and back country sand lanes to discover Outer Banks wildlife. Shore life including pelicans, dolphins and osprey are almost always present. You will hear stories about the “Ghost Fleet” and Outer Banks maritime history and learn about the mysterious petrified forest. Back Country Outfitters has exclusive access to the Spanish Mustang Reserve, giving you a chance to see these regal wild horses while your tour guide explains their Spanish Colonial heritage and the local preservation efforts. Reservations are required.
Beach Jeeps of Corolla
- Corolla Light Town Center, Corolla
- (252) 453-6141
Beach Jeeps of Corolla is a great way to see the northern beaches of Corolla and the area’s famous wild horses. The Jeep Safari is a self-guided tour that follows a preplanned route. You’ll see wild Spanish ponies, Penny’s Hill, Swan Beach, and the canals of Carova Beach. On North Swan Beach you’ll see the Wash Woods Lifesaving Station. In addition to the wild ponies, you may see deer, red fox and dolphins. Tours last two-and-a-half hours and are a great way to explore the secluded northern beaches and see local wildlife in their natural habitat.
Captain Johnny’s Dolphin Watch Tours / Outer Banks Cruises
- Manteo Waterfront, Manteo
- (252) 473-1475, (866) 473-1475
It’s very exciting to watch bottlenose dolphins frolicking and rolling through the water. Dolphins live in the sounds, and from June through October frequent the local waters. Since 1995 Capt. Stuart Wescott, a ninth-generation Roanoke Island native, has offered dolphin watch tours in the Roanoke Sound aboard the 53-foot pontoon-type boat Capt. Johnny. Dolphin sightings are guaranteed, so if you miss them on your first trip, your second tour is free. Wescott shares his knowledge and history of the area on the tour as well. Dolphin tours last two hours, and there are usually three trips a day (morning, mid-day and afternoon). Expect to pay around $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger. Sunset cruises, bird-watching tours and shrimping/crabbing cruises are also offered. Stop by the dock site on the Manteo Waterfront or call for more information.
Carolina Outdoors
- Monteray Plaza, N.C. Highway 12, Corolla
- (252) 453-3685
The Outer Banks is extremely flat, but if you’re looking to get vertical, check out the climbing wall at Carolina Outdoors. The 26-foot climbing wall is located in the Monteray Plaza courtyard. You get two climbs for $7, and no reservations are necessary.
Carolina Outdoors
- Monteray Plaza, Corolla
- (252) 453-3685
Carolina Outdoors has ocean kayaks (the sit-on-top style) available for rent. They offer single and tandem kayaks. No reservations are necessary.
Coastal Explorations
- 1130F Corolla Village Lane, Corolla
- (252) 453-9872
Coastal Explorations is a small, adventure-oriented touring company in Corolla. Their guides are friendly and outgoing and have the skill and knowledge to keep you entertained and informed. Whether it’s kayak rentals, kayak tours, boat tours, fishing, or crabbing trips, they’ll get you out on the water and having fun!
Coastal Kayak Touring Company
- North Beach Outfitters Waterfront Shops, Corolla
- (252) 261-6262 or (252) 441-3393
You haven’t seen the Outer Banks until you’ve seen it from the water, and Coastal Kayak can take you there. They offer trips to four different areas of the Outer Banks: Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary (between Corolla and Duck), Kitty Hawk Woods, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Hatteras Island and the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Dare County mainland. The Pine Island trip, on the Currituck Sound, is the closest to Duck. Tours last two to three hours. The guides offer kayaking instruction if you need it, plus they narrate about the local history and ecology along the way. Single and tandem kayaks are available. Children are welcome, as long they are at least 30 pounds, but certain trips are better for kids than others. Reservations are required.
Corolla Bait and Tackle
- Corolla Light Town Center, N.C. Highway 12 and Austin Street, Corolla
- (252) 453-9500
Keith Cummings, owner of Corolla Bait and Tackle, goes beyond the call of duty when it comes to sharing his fishing knowledge. Everyone who comes through the door gets fishing instruction. This full-service tackle shop sells every major brand of tackle for fresh and salt water plus gear, fresh bait, crabbing supplies, ice and more. The advice is free. Corolla Bait and Tackle rents rods, reels and crab pots. Surf fishing classes are offered as well. See Outer Banks Charter Fishing Adventures, below, for guided fishing opportunities.
Corolla Jeep Rentals and Tours—Fishing Charters
- Whalehead Bay Shoppes, Corolla
- (252) 453-6899, (252) 453-0077
Corolla Jeep Rentals and Tours offers a variety of fishing charters, held in either the sound or the ocean, for a half, three-quarter or full day. Depending upon which trip you choose, you can catch mackerel, marlin, tuna and dolphin. The boats carry up to six passengers, and if you don’t have a group of six ready to go, they can accommodate you with a make-up charter. All fishing tackle is included, so all you need to bring is lunch.
Corolla Jeep Rentals and Tours—Guided Tours
- Whalehead Bay Shoppes, Corolla
- (252) 453-6899
Corolla Jeep Rentals and Tours offers guided tours of the off-road area, including their own private 400-acre Hunt Club. Guided tours are two hours long and conducted in comfy 15 passenger vans or Suburbans. You can also rent a soft-top Jeep and take off on a self-guided tour, with the aid of the navigation systems provided in the Jeeps. These tours last two-and-a-half hours and the navigation system sends you on a course where wild horses are usually spotted. You’ll see beautiful, remote beaches and wildlife. Corolla Jeeps is one of the few that is open year round and they say they can pretty much find horses for you every day!
Corolla Kayak Company
- Whalehead Bay Shoppes, Corolla
- (252) 453-0077
Corolla Kayak offers guided tours through a section of marsh near the old Currituck Inlet Hunt Club. Paddlers are shuttled up to the four-wheel-drive area where the tour begins. The area covered by this three-hour tour is completely surrounded by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge and goes through marsh creeks and along the sound shores. You’ll often glimpse wild horses. Corolla Kayak also offers a two-hour tour through Whalehead Bay. You’ll leave from the shop and paddle around where birds and other wildlife are plentiful. This tour can be led by a guide or self-guided. All tours are by reservations; call for times and prices. Corolla Kayak also offers ocean kayak rentals, and they can deliver them to you.
Corolla Light Watersports
- Inn at Corolla Light, N.C. Highway 12, Corolla
- (252) 453-4222
The Inn at Corolla Light has a 400-foot pier on the Currituck Sound that’s a great launching place for several water sports. You can rent a Jet Ski to zoom around on the water or even take a Jet Ski tour. If you’re not into speed, rent a kayak for some quiet paddling. If you’d like to do some crabbing but don’t have the right equipment, you can rent a net and bucket here and drop your bait from the pier.
Corolla Mini Golf
- TimBuck II Shopping Village NC Highway 12, Corolla
- (252) 453-6900
Enjoy famous views of the Currituck Sound as you tee it up on this 18-hole, carpeted miniature golf course. Ten of the holes are played on a separate island! Look for the course at the back of the shopping complex next to Kitty Hawk Watersports.
Corolla Outback Adventures
- N.C. Highway 12, Corolla
- (252) 453-4484
Corolla Outback Adventures, run by Corolla native Jay Bender, is a two-hour, 20-mile guided tour of the northern Outer Banks. On this trip you tour via four-wheel all-terrain vehicles. Corolla Outback Adventures owns more than 200 acres on the northern beaches, about a third of which is a reserve partnership with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. This private reserve area allows people on the tour to see the horses grazing in their natural habitat. On the way to the reserve, the guide stops to talk about the history and ecology of the area. Tours are offered every two hours in the summer, and Corolla Outback is open from April to December.
Corolla Raceway
- Timbuck II Shopping Village, N.C. Highway 12, Corolla
- (252) 453-9100
The Corolla Raceway features one large track with 16 super-fast Indy cars. For the tamer ones in your crowd, there are freestanding, gas-powered bumper cars. The onsite arcade is a hit with the kids. The Raceway is open Easter through November, and from Memorial to Labor Day they have a snack bar stocked with treats.
Corolla Surf Shop—Monteray Plaza
- Monteray Plaza, Corolla
- (252) 453-WAVE and 453-9273
If you don’t know how to surf or want to get better at it, take a lesson through the surf school at Corolla Surf Shop. The two-hour introductory group lessons cover all the basics and include board and wetsuit rental, all for just $60. As long as the waves are good and you’re in pretty good shape, the instructors can almost guarantee they’ll have you standing up by the end of the lesson.
Corolla Surf Shop—The Shoppes at the Currituck Club
- The Shoppes at the Currituck Club, Corolla
- (252) 453-WAVE and 453-9273
If you don’t know how to surf or want to get better at it, take a lesson through the surf school at Corolla Surf Shop. The two-hour introductory group lessons cover all the basics and include board and wetsuit rental, all for just $60. As long as the waves are good and you’re in pretty good shape, the instructors can almost guarantee they’ll have you standing up by the end of the lesson.
Intermediate and advanced classes are also offered, as are private lessons. The minimum age to participate is 9 years old. All instructors are CPR trained, and most are trained as lifeguards too. Lessons are offered daily in the summer and by request in the off-season. Contact them ahead of time to sign up if you’re visiting during the busy summer months. You can call the shop or sign up on their website. Corolla Surf Shop also rents surfboards, wetsuits, bodyboards and skimboards.
Corolla Surf Shop—The Shoppes at the Currituck Club
- The Shoppes at the Currituck Club, Corolla
- (252) 453-WAVE and 453-9273
If you don’t know how to surf or want to get better at it, take a lesson through the surf school at Corolla Surf Shop. The two-hour introductory group lessons cover all the basics and include board and wetsuit rental, all for just $60. As long as the waves are good and you’re in pretty good shape, the instructors can almost guarantee they’ll have you standing up by the end of the lesson.
Corolla Surf Shop—TimBuck II Shopping Village
- TimBuck II Shopping Village (two locations), Corolla
- (252) 453-WAVE and 453-9273
If you don’t know how to surf or want to get better at it, take a lesson through the surf school at Corolla Surf Shop. The two-hour introductory group lessons cover all the basics and include board and wetsuit rental, all for just $60. As long as the waves are good and you’re in pretty good shape, the instructors can almost guarantee they’ll have you standing up by the end of the lesson.
Intermediate and advanced classes are also offered, as are private lessons. The minimum age to participate is 9 years old. All instructors are CPR trained, and most are trained as lifeguards too. Lessons are offered daily in the summer and by request in the off-season. Contact them ahead of time to sign up if you’re visiting during the busy summer months. You can call the shop or sign up on their website. Corolla Surf Shop also rents surfboards, wetsuits, bodyboards and skimboards.
Corolla Wild Horse Tours
- Inn at Corolla Light, N.C. Highway 12, Corolla
- N/A
Corolla’s tours last two hours and incorporate quite a bit of local history to complement the sightseeing. At the beginning, your guide will take you past the Whalehead Club and lighthouse and through Corolla Village, showering you with some interesting lore. Then it’s up to the four-wheel-drive area, where you’ll see the horses grazing in their natural habitat. Corolla’s tours are given in air-conditioned Suburbans and can accommodate up to seven people. Call for details and reservations. All tours have a money back guarantee if you don’t see the horses.
Corolla Wild Horses
- Corolla, Corolla
If you go to the northern reaches of the Currituck Outer Banks, beyond the paved road and into the wilder realms, you’ll likely encounter some of the free-roaming Corolla wild horses. These exotic equines have roamed the rugged northernmost Outer Banks for more than four centuries, and geneticists have claimed that they are descendants of sixteenth-century Barb horses, Spanish and Portuguese stock that was bred on the Barbary Coast of North Africa.
It is not known exactly when and how the horses got to the Outer Banks, but the widely held belief is that they came ashore with early European explorers. Both Spanish and English explorers traveled with Barb horses and other livestock, and both groups explored this area in the sixteenth century. Either the explorers brought the horses here and left them behind or else it’s believed horses swam ashore after a ship wrecked. Though the Corolla wild horses have clear Spanish origins, their isolation on the Outer Banks for more than 400 years has made them a breed all their own.
There are about 60 horses freely roaming the 15,000 acres between the end of the paved road and the Virginia state line. Another 10 horses live on a 400-acre private island in the Currituck Sound. The horses are quite healthy, as they have an adequate supply of naturally occurring fresh water to drink and plenty of grasses to munch on, like saltmeadow hay, witch grasses, cattails, American threesquare, spikerush, black needlerush, common reed grass, young cordgrass, sea oats and beach grass.
The Corolla wild horses are recognized as a significant cultural and historical resource by the state of North Carolina. The herd is protected and monitored by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund Inc. of Corolla. To learn more about the horses, take a guided horse-watching tour. Remember, the horses are wild. Do not try to approach them, feed them or bother them in any way. In fact it is unlawful to disturb them. Please watch them from a respectful distance.
CSS Style
- TimBuck II Shopping Village, Corolla
- (252) 453-9280
This new location for Corolla Surf Shop, the second in TimBuck II, opened in the spring of 2006. Like all the other locations, you can arrange for surf lessons here (for ages 9 and older) and rent surf equipment. This location also has great surf-wear styles for the entire family plus a large selection of high performance sunglasses and sandals. But what’s unique for this store is its collection of surf memorabilia – paintings, rugs, lamps, CDs and more - that can help you express your surfing lifestyle. They’re located next to Groupers.
Dr. Unks Oasis
- Monterey Plaza, Corolla
- (252) 457-0053
Dr. Unks Bar is a fun Corolla nightspot. Located in the same building as Tomato Patch Pizzeria, Dr. Unks serves a late-night menu. They have a fully stocked bar and feature live music during the summer season — call ahead for a schedule.
