The Currituck Outer Banks have long been associated with gorgeous beaches, wild horses and a majestic lighthouse. Until 1985, this remote stretch of sand at the north end of the Outer Banks was protected by a guard gate, and the area was not accessible unless you were a property owner of the guest of a property owner. Therefore, development came very slowly to the Currituck Outer Banks, also known as Corolla, until the mid 1980s. Since that time, there has been an explosion of construction and the addition of a variety of attractions and activities.
The Currituck Outer Banks offers incredible accommodations that rival anything on the East Coast, from quaint cottages to inviting hotels, inns and luxurious rental homes. There is fabulous shopping, dining, hunting, fishing, wildlife and historical attractions to entertain the most active vacationer.
Currituck County, established in 1668, started as a collection of fishing villages. “Currituck,” Algonquin for “land of the wild goose,” is an area that lived up to its name and attracted wealthy businessmen from the north who loved to hunt. These businessmen bought large tracts of land and established private hunt clubs such as the Monkey Island Club, Swan Island Club and the Currituck Club. The hunt clubs established a new industry in Currituck and kept the locals employed. The most famous of these clubs, the fully restored Whalehead Club, currently serves as a prominent historical attraction at Currituck Heritage Park.
The Whalehead Club was built in 1922 by Pennsylvania industrialist Edward Collins Knight, Jr. for his wife, Marie Louise LeBel, a French Canadian who liked to hunt. When none of the all-male hunt clubs would allow Mrs. Knight to join, Mr. Knight bought 4.5 miles of land and began building his wife a large hunt club mansion on the sound. The club featured one of only a few basements on the Outer Banks which was constructed by building the basement on level ground, then dredging a moat around the structure and pushing the fill around the basement. The resulting island became known as Corolla Island and housed an additional three levels, built in the art nouveau style of the period. The home has cork floors, Tiffany designed wall sconces, crystal and china, 18-inch walls with steel reinforced beams, hot and cold running fresh and salt water, a copper roof, five stately brick chimneys and so much more. Building materials were barged from Elizabeth City and cost $385,000. It took three years to build Corolla Island.
The Knights used the club to entertain their northern friends and many distinctive guests, including Theodore Roosevelt. Having no descendents, the club’s ownership was transferred to Ray T. Adams in 1940. The renamed Whalehead Club went through a series of uses, including a rocket fuel testing site and a boy’s school. In the 1970s, it was purchased by a Virginia businessman who developed much of the land but let the club fall into disrepair. In 1993, Currituck County purchased the Club and the surrounding 39 acres and formed the Whalehead Preservation Trust. With county funding and private donations, the Club completed its restoration and is now open for tours. Currituck Heritage Park is also home to the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, which features information and educational programming. The picturesque setting is a popular site for weddings, art shows and concerts. Moreover, it’s also the perfect spot to catch a breathtaking sunset in Corolla.
In 1875, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse filled the last gap on the “Graveyard of the Atlantic’s” treacherous shores. It stands midway between Cape Henry Light in Virginia Beach and the Bodie Island Light to the south. Sailors used the lighthouses to navigate and avoid the false capes that grounded ships. Each lighthouse was painted a different color or pattern to distinguish each one; the Currituck Beach Lighthouse is the only natural red brick lighthouse on the East Coast. Working with the US Lifesaving Service, the Currituck Lighthouse saved many lives on the coastline. It still flashes at 20 second intervals (17 off, 3 seconds on) to warn sailors of shallow water. It’s open for climbing during the summer season and also features the beautifully restored Lighthouse Keeper’s House.
The lighthouse sits in the heart of historic Corolla Village. Around the turn of the 20th century, a small village sprang to life around the beacon. Locals were employed by the fishing industry, the lighthouse, the Lifesaving Service and the hunt clubs. The village contained a one-room school house, church, post office and several private homes. Today, the schoolhouse has been restored as a museum for the Wild Horses of Corolla and is a must-see for vacationers. The John Austin Memorial Chapel operates as a church and community center. Most of the homes have been restored and are now used as quaint shops. The village also became the home of the Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station when it was moved from Kitty Hawk and restored as an office. Visitors may spend a delightful afternoon walking the sandy roads of the village and discovering life as it once was on the Currituck Outer Banks.
While the wild horses have their own museum in Corolla Village, you can’t see them unless you venture north to the four-wheel-drive beaches. The wild horses of Corolla are believed to be descendants of Spanish mustangs from 16th century explorers. For centuries, they’ve roamed the Outer Banks feasting on the native vegetation and providing locals with stock for farming. However, with development, the horses became threatened. A volunteer organization, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, was formed to manage the herd. The organization moved some of the horses to an inland farm, but most of the herd was moved into the four-wheel-drive area north of Corolla. The Corolla Wild Horse Fund now helps with the horses’ medical care to ensure the herd is protected for many years to come.
The northern beaches of the Currituck Outer Banks offer a unique experience to SUV owners. The communities of Swan Beach, North Swan Beach and Carova Beach feature fabulous vacation homes that provide seclusion and access to one of the most pristine beaches on the East Coast. Miles of sand are framed by dunes spotted with sea oats and indigenous wildlife. The only access to this area is by driving on the beach. Two wildlife refuges and an estuarine sanctuary provide protection for the native seabirds, turtles and abundant sound-side wildlife. Visitors can drive on the beach and catch a glimpse of pelicans and gulls diving for the catch of the day or perhaps see a majestic Spanish mustang overlooking the windswept dunes. Park your four-wheel-drive on the beach, unload the kids, coolers and fishing gear, and spend the day. The only requirement is that you don’t park within one mile of the ramp access to the beach and do not block the travel lanes. Enjoy the sun, surf, sand and peacefulness offered on the northern beaches.
Beach-goers can also enjoy the pristine beaches of Corolla by staying at any of the numerous accommodations. One of the newer subdivisions to the Currituck Outer Banks is Pine Island, which features many private homes that can house up to 30 visitors at a time. Some houses feature home theaters, elevators, hot tubs, private pools and many other upscale amenities. The majority of the west side of Pine Island has been donated by the National Audubon society and, as a result, many of the homes in Pine Island offer majestic sound-side views as well as ocean vistas. Guests have access to a community pool and public Pine Island Racquet Club.
For years, this remote stretch of sand at the north end of the Outer Banks was protected by a guard gate, and the area was not accessible unless you were a property owner or the guest of a property owner. Therefore, development came very slowly to the Currituck Outer Banks, also known as Corolla, until the mid 1980s. Since that time, there has been an explosion of construction and the addition of a variety of attractions and activities. The Currituck Outer Banks have long been associated with gorgeous beaches, wild horses, and a majestic lighthouse.
Arriving at the sandy beaches of Corolla is like joining an exclusive society. It’s a whole new experience for vacationers, and it’s only available to those with four-wheel-drive. Whether you already own a suitable vehicle, rent a Jeep for an awesomely rugged adventure or join a group on a guided open air tour, your Corolla beach excursion promises to leave you and your family with a myriad of memories—unique to each person and different each time.
Those early risers arriving at Corolla beaches will have the rare opportunity to watch wild horses galloping on the sand. You might even be fortunate enough to spot a young colt trotting along next to its mother. The wild horses of Corolla are believed to be descendents of Spanish mustangs from 16th century explorers. For centuries, they’ve roamed the Outer Banks feasting on the native vegetation. Since Corolla is home to many different native species, it’s important that they’re protected. Two wildlife refuges and an estuarine sanctuary provide protection for the native seabirds, turtles, and abundant sound-side wildlife.
In the mid part of the day, a journey to Corolla will reveal ranks of Jeeps parked near the water for an all-day gathering, fishermen in the process of snagging their supper and Dune Buggies letting loose in the sand. The beaches are more secluded here, and many take advantage of the extra space with a friendly round of cornhole or horseshoes. Join in the fun by finding the perfect parking space, unloading a picnic lunch and spending the whole day relaxing and enjoying the surf and sand.
Perhaps you and your family can’t get enough of the secluded beaches and astonishing wildlife and would like to spend more than a day here. The communities of Swan Beach, North Swan Beach and Carova Beach feature spectacular vacation homes that provide seclusion and access to one of the most pristine beaches on the East Coast. Part of what makes your Corolla vacation special is that most of the property is family-owned, giving it a genuine community feel and leaving out the gargantuan mega-hotels that litter other beaches.
One of the most fabulous subdivisions on the Currituck Outer Banks is Pine Island, which features many large private homes that can house up to 30 visitors at a time. Some houses feature home theaters, elevators, hot tubs, private pools and many other upscale amenities. The majority of the west side of Pine Island has been donated to the National Audubon society and as a result, many of the homes in Pine Island offer majestic sound-side views as well as ocean vistas. Guests have access to a community pool and the public Pine Island Racquet Club.
To the north is the sound-side golf community of the Currituck Club. Along with spectacular homes and villas, the Currituck Club features an 18-hole Rees Jones designed golf course. The course is open to the public but offers preference to Currituck Club guests. The course provides spectacular fairways overlooking the Currituck Sound in addition to dunes with ocean views.
The east side of NC 12 features the communities of Spindrift, Ocean Sands, Crown Point and Buck Island. Spindrift offers acre home sites, a rarity in ocean-side developments. Ocean Sands and Crown Point offer some larger homes but feature the smaller, more traditional beach cottages. Buck Island is reminiscent of a historic coastal community. The sidewalks, street lamps, and brightly painted homes offer a different opportunity for the Corolla visitor.
Whalehead Beach features a mixture of large homes with private pools and smaller
beach cottages. The Caribbean-inspired homes of Monteray Shores feature “stucco” exteriors, curved archways and pastel colors along with more traditional Outer Banks homes. This sound-side community also offers beach access, a community pool, and tennis courts along with piers and fishing ponds.
To the north, Corolla Light is an ocean-to-sound resort community. Developed in 1985, the resort features an indoor Olympic size pool, indoor tennis, racquetball, an oceanfront pool complex, playgrounds, outdoor tennis courts, hiking trails and a bus for transportation within the resort. An activities director keeps the entire family occupied for the week. The resort has won 10 consecutive awards for “Resort Community of the Year” and continues to improve its accommodations to evolve with the changes in the demands of its guests.
Corolla Village is also an ocean-to-sound community and is the oldest of the vacation areas on the Currituck Banks. Sand roads lead to private homes with heavily treed home sites.
Adjacent to Corolla Village is Ocean Hill and the Villages at Ocean Hill, which offer beautiful traditional homes interspersed with estate-like vacation houses. Ocean Hill marks the end of the paved road, but one can continue north into the four-wheel-drive areas for additional outstanding accommodations.
Spotted throughout the Currituck Banks are terrific shopping areas and an eclectic mix of restaurants. The oceanfront beaches and Currituck Sound offer great fishing and hunting venues, as well as water sport activities like kayaking, surfing and sailing. So if you’re looking for a great place to stay that offers fantastic accommodations, shopping, dining, activities and historical attractions, the Currituck Outer Banks should be your destination of choice. The Currituck Outer Banks is much more than a beach and definitely more than you imagined!