Your Guide to Dog-Friendly Beaches in North Carolina

In Corolla and Currituck, beach days aren’t just for humans — they’re for your canine companions too. Along this peaceful stretch of The Northern Outer Banks, leashed dogs are welcome to explore miles of wide, natural shoreline, with plenty of room to run, roam and sniff the salty air. 

As you walk, keep your eyes peeled for the area’s most iconic residents: the wild horses that roam freely here. For everyone’s safety — including your pup’s — it’s important to admire these animals from at least 50 feet away.

At day’s end, you’ll find plenty of pet-friendly places to stay — from vacation homes designed with dogs in mind to spots like the Inn at Corolla Lighthouse, where sunset views offer the perfect way to wind down. Corolla makes it easy to bring your best friend along, with welcoming spaces, natural beauty and unforgettable memories waiting on the sand.

• Indian Beach: Leashed dogs can enjoy year-round romps on the sandy beaches here.
• Cape Lookout National Seashore: The only way to get to the 56 miles of undeveloped shoreline here is by boat or ferry. Find a dog-friendly ferry service to begin your adventure — and once here, doggos on leashes 6 feet or shorter can explore beaches year-round.
• Fort Macon State Park: There’s a lot of room for exploring here, but dogs must be on a leash 6 feet or shorter. No pups are allowed in the designated swimming areas or inside the buildings.
• Atlantic Beach: Doggos can roam the beach while on a leash less than 12 feet, but they'll need to steer clear of the people-only sections near the lifeguarded areas.
• Pine Knoll Shores: Leashed pups are welcome year-round.
• Emerald Isle: Leashed doggos are welcome on the beach year-round.

• Wrightsville Beach: This beach is for offseason doggos to enjoy, leashed, from Oct. 1 through March 31. No prime-season dogs allowed on the beach, however.
• Carolina Beach State Park: Leashed dogs are welcome year-round on the campground and at the beach.
• Carolina Beach: Pups are welcome on the beach before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. from April through September. During the offseason, leashed dogs are welcome around the clock.
• Kure Beach: Dogs aren't allowed during high season (April 1 through Sept. 30), but they can wander the beach on up to 15-foot leashes during the cooler months.
• Fort Fisher State Recreation Area: Head here for year-round on-leash beach and trail adventures filled with sand and salt air.

• Bald Head Island: Doggos must be leashed May 1 through Nov. 15 on this car-free island, but they can chase waves off leash in the offseason.
• Caswell Beach: Pups can run leash free from dawn until 9 a.m. Otherwise, this dog-friendly beach requires leashes. Bonus: From Oct. 1 through April 30, unleashed dogs are also welcome on the beach from 3 p.m. until dark.
• Oak Island: Leashed dogs can enjoy Oak Island beaches year-round. If you come in the offseason between Oct. 16 and March 15, they can even run off leash during the day in areas with beach access signs.
• Holden Beach: During the summer months — May 20 until Sept. 10 — dogs aren’t allowed on the beach between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. On-leash walks are allowed at all other times.
• Ocean Isle Beach: No pups are allowed on the beach strand during the summer between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. If you want to come in the early mornings or evenings — or in the offseason — just remember a leash.
• Sunset Beach: Offseason doggos can enjoy the beach (on a leash less than 10 feet long), but their paws can’t touch the sand between Memorial Day through Labor Day from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.