Topsail’s beaches are known for their natural beauty, which is often a draw for visitors — and sea turtles. North Carolina’s warm and shallow waters, plus a vast system of estuaries, provide an ideal habitat for nesting sea turtles, and Topsail hosts a large number throughout the year.

Pier fishing is a tradition along North Carolina’s coast, and no spot has a longer history for anglers than the Kure Beach Fishing Pier — the oldest on the Atlantic Coast. The pier dates back to 1923 when LC Kure built a 120-foot-long pier made of pine. That pier lasted less than a year, but in 1924 he pioneered the use of reinforced concrete to build a 240-foot pier.

If you walk in front of the seawall between Kure Beach and Fort Fisher at low tide, you’ll come upon the only coquina outcrop on the North Carolina coast. Located a short distance from the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, these mounds of clumped shells have hardened over the years from surface exposure. They form a small platform extending beneath Kure and Carolina beaches as well as Masonboro Island.

One of the most distinct and spectacular aspects of the Outer Banks is the natural, scenic and remote condition of so much of a vast coastal area that is close to major population centers along the East Coast.

Springer's Point is a 120-acre coastal nature preserve with a legendary past. First settled in the early 1600s as a bustling shipping port, its flow of goods and barrier-island features attracted one of Ocracoke’s most infamous visitors, Edward Teach. Better known as notorious pirate captain Blackbeard, Teach used the sound and ocean access of Springer’s Point to raid and plunder well-stocked cargo ships.

Roaming freely along the windswept shores of Northern Outer Banks, the wild horses of Corolla are living links to a bygone era. Believed to be descendants of Spanish mustangs brought here by explorers over 400 years ago, these striking horses have adapted to life on the barrier islands, navigating dunes, salt marshes and scrub forests with quiet resilience. These wild herds are a reminder of the unique and untamed spirit that still defines the Outer Banks.

Visitors who want to see the inner workings of a coastal forest can get an unmatched experience at the Brice’s Creek Saltwater Trail in Croatan National Forest, the only true coastal national forest in the Eastern US.

With 318 curves in just 11 miles of roadway, it's no wonder U.S. Highway 129 at Deals Gap near Tapoco has been named the top motorcycling road in America many times over. Known as the Dragon after its curves that resemble a dragon's tail, this highway is a favorite of motoring enthusiasts due to its remote location in the Great Smoky Mountains, lack of intersections, abundance of scenic vistas, and proximity to other remarkable drives.

With 17 slopes and trails plus nine lifts, there’s plenty of skiing and snowboarding to be done at Beech Mountain Resort. And at an elevation of 5,506 feet, you’ll be skiing in the highest town in Eastern America. You can even sit at the top with snacks and a cold Beech Mountain Brewing Co. beer at 5506’ Skybar.

Not only is Fontana Dam a beautiful vista on the drive through the Great Smoky Mountains, at 480 feet high it's also the tallest concrete dam in the Eastern US. After crossing the length of the top of the dam, you've even traveled a bit of the grandiose Appalachian Trail.