Rodanthe Beach
Rodanthe, NC
Rodanthe sits on the narrow Hatteras Island stretch of the Outer Banks, a fishing and watersports village best known outside the area for its cameo in the Nicholas Sparks film Nights in Rodanthe. The real draw for locals is the Pamlico Sound side, where steady wind makes this one of the best kiteboarding and windsurfing spots on the East Coast.
The sound side wind makes this a real destination for kiteboarders specifically, though the ocean beach itself is fairly narrow and can wash out fast after a storm.
How we score beachesStay 300 feet clear of the fishing pier if you're surfing, kayaking, or kiteboarding. It's an actual enforced rule, not just pier etiquette.
The main Rodanthe Beach Access has 97 free parking spaces, a bathhouse, outdoor showers, and an oceanfront gazebo.
A boardwalk crosses the dune from the main access lot to the sand. Smaller accesses along the village are narrower sand paths.
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet year-round, but not on the lifeguarded swimming beach or on wildlife trails west of Highway 12.
Water peaks in the upper 70s by August, in the heart of Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June through November. Wind is steadiest in fall, which is exactly when the kiteboarders show up in force.
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