5 Amazing Spring Break Destinations in North Carolina

North Carolina’s beautiful bookends – the mountains to the west and beaches to the east – make for great spring break destinations for those who love playing outdoors. If an urban getaway sounds more up your alley, cities in the central part of our state have lots to discover with museums, amusement parks and dining hot spots.

Whether you’re planning spring break as a family vacation, getaway with your significant other or a reunion with friends, we have you covered.

1 Take the Family to the Beach

photo: Wilmington and Beaches CVB

1 Take the Family to the Beach

Carolina BeachSee on map

This beach town has retained its vintage charm with the colorful Carolina Beach Boardwalk, one of the only remaining beach boardwalks along the East Coast. An arcade and Ferris wheel give visitors plenty of fun between stops at restaurants, bars and sweet shops dishing out classics like homemade fudge. Three locally owned restaurants feature hot dogs (Charlie Graingers, Jack’s Retreat Beer Garden and Dog House, and Sadie’s), so sampling different dogs should be on your to-do list.

You’ll want to leave plenty of time for playing on the beach and savoring the ocean views. Rent a surrey bike that accommodates up to eight people, walk the 700-foot scenic pier as well as enjoying your picturesque beach cottage or oceanfront condo. Pro tip: Enroll the kids in Spring Break Surf Camp. They’ll come back with stories and Instagram-worthy photos, and you’ll get to sit back and bask in the sun. In nearby Kure Beach, the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher also deserves a visit for its interactive experiences and free daily programs that include feedings, diver talks and meet-and-greets with reptiles.

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2 An Escape for Two

High Hampton Resort

2 An Escape for Two

HighlandsSee on map

The neighboring mountain towns of Highlands and Cashiers will deliver the perfect settings for your intimate vacation. Think romantic waterfall hikes, heavenly spa treatments and cozy retreats that beg for ample time snuggling indoors. Splurge and stay in Half-Mile Farm’s luxurious cabin rooms or suites, enjoy the mountain resort life at High Hampton Resort or go for the B&B experience at Colonial Pines Inn Bed and Breakfast.

For dinners, you’ll find five highly rated fine-dining experiences in Highlands, including Madison’s, Ristorante Paoletti and On the Verandah. Or, wow your honey with a picnic dinner with supplies from Mountain Fresh Grocery & Wine Market while you watch the sunset from the appropriately named Sunset Rock or Whiteside Mountain Trail. Of course, a trip to this area wouldn’t be complete without pictures of the two of you at Dry Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Add in some activities at Lake Glenville – home to three waterfalls that tumble into the lake – and your romantic getaway is officially planned.

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3 Good Times, Good Friends

Motorco Music Hall

3 Good Times, Good Friends

DurhamSee on map

Is it about that time to get your crew together for a long-overdue girls’ or guys’ (or co-ed) trip? You’ll have a blast in Durham, which is experiencing a food and drink boom. By day, Bull City’s walkable downtown provides groups with easy access to a number of cool galleries. When the sun goes down, locals, college students and visitors alike can be found bar-hopping between live music venues, lounges and dive bars. You’ll also want to sample the suds at one of several breweries, including the game-room-like Fullsteam Brewery, or find North Carolina ciders on tap at Black Twig Cider House, the Southeast’s first cider-focused restaurant.

The Italian sandwich spot Toast should be essential lunching when visiting Durham. For breakfast, try one of two highly rated donut spots, Rise Biscuits & Donuts or Monuts Donuts, which you can work off by paddling the Eno River, located just 10 minutes from downtown. Sports fans can catch a baseball game from the Triple-A Durham Bulls. And while Durham is known as a hub for blues music, more than a dozen music venues, including the popular Motorco Music Hall, offer lineups to please any concertgoer.

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4 Calling All Couples

Jockey’s Ridge State Park

4 Calling All Couples

Kill Devil Hills, Nags HeadSee on map

One of the few fun things about “adulting” is the opportunity to go on trips with your couples friends. Pitch in to stay at an I-wish-we-lived-here beach house that will be your home base for some quality time exploring North Carolina’s barrier islands. The Outer Banks towns of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills will keep your group entertained with nightlife and dining choices, and they also have easy access to the famous wild horses in Corolla and historic Roanoke Island.

To soak in the beauty of OBX, load up your rented off-road vehicle and hit the sand, or book a cruise and view the island chain from the Atlantic Ocean. Adventurous folks should consider reserving one of more than two dozen adventures through Kitty Hawk Kites, who offer hang gliding, parasailing and paragliding lessons that might just turn out to be the highlight of your trip.

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5 For the Kids and Kid in You

5 For the Kids and Kid in You

CharlotteSee on map

As the largest city in North Carolina, Charlotte has the popular attractions you’d expect, such as one of the nation’s top interactive museums, Discovery Place, and a big amusement park in Carowinds, which opens each year on the weekends in time for spring break. Parents will love Charlotte’s family-friendly breweries with cool outdoor spaces – The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Birdsong Brewing Co., Sycamore Brewing and NoDa Brewing, which even gives out free juice boxes to the little ones.

Plenty of outdoor fun awaits about 30 minutes north at Lake Norman if you want to add in a little nature to your urban getaway. Explore our state’s largest lake by renting a boat, or get your paddle on with kayak, canoe or SUP board rentals, while chartered cruises are a relaxed way to enjoy the water. Plus, the Lake Norman area is home to Zootastic Park and Lazy 5 Ranch, providing zoo and safari-like adventures.

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