The Sand Dune You Ll Find At Jockey S Ridge In North Carolina Is Magical

Visitors walk from the pristine rows of beachfront homes straight into an otherworldly desert at 300 W. Carolista Drive in Nags Head, North Carolina. Jockey’s Ridge State Park is the tallest living sand dune on the Atlantic Coast and it’s a visual paradise.

The park features a 360-foot long boardwalk, a visitors center, and a museum that delves into the ecological history of the dune. It also offers an incredible view of the Roanoke Sound.

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But the most important piece of the park is the sand dune itself. The 427-acre area is the most visited park in North Carolina’s system and much of that is attributed to the powerful landscape the dune provides. You’ll feel as though you’ve been transported to another country completely.

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Jockey’s Ridge attracts large numbers of hang gliders. Visitors can take lessons from on-site vendors and experienced hang gliders can often be seen cruising the pristine sand of the dune.

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Scientists estimate there are three million tons of sand in the dune. The shape of the dune is constantly shifting with the coastal winds and may move one to six feet each year. The dune will look and feel different every time you visit.

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Though lush vegetation abounds around the sand, the dune itself is free of growth, making it looks more akin to the desert than the East Coast’s typical grass-filled sand dunes.

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The name “Jockey’s Ridge” comes from the practice of early inhabitants in North Carolina who would race horses along the flat ridge at the base of the sand dune.

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If you dream of traveling to stunning desert nations abroad but don’t have the time for a vacation, Jockey’s Ridge provides similar stunning views without the cost of airfare.