Everyone around the world has heard of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The OBX are one of our favorite places to travel to – we love everything about them. But, did you know that North Carolina also has the Inner Banks? The Inner Banks are a pretty unofficial title that describes the inland coastal regions of North Carolina. These Inner Banks towns are often overlooked but they are the perfect place for a weekend getaway. These towns are a lot quieter than their beach front counterparts so they are the perfect place to relax.
The Inner Banks are surrounded by sounds, rivers, waterways, and swamps. All of these areas sit on the water and are great places for boating, kayaking, fishing, and any other water activity. All of these towns are full of history and have incredible waterfront areas. Here are our favorite 8 Inner Banks towns to spend a weekend in.
Edenton
Edenton is one of the prettiest towns in North Carolina. Because it is hard to get to, many people miss out on its charm. It is about 30 miles southeast of Elizabeth City on Highway 17. Edenton is a 300 year old town on the Albermarle Sound. The town has done an incredible job preserving its history.
The best way to see this town is to hitch a ride on the trolley. The trolley takes you through the town and shares all of the points of interest. Bonus, it is air-conditioned! It is a little pricey, but we found it was worth it. You can see an Underground Railroad hub, St. Paul’s Church, and the what is believed to be the oldest house in North Carolina dating back to 1718.
Edenton is where we discovered our first River Lighthouse. North Carolina has a handful of them. We have tried to visit all of them but our favorite so far remains the Roanoke River Lighthouse in Edenton. You can tour it for a few dollars which is well worth it.
There are plenty of places to eat on Broad Street in the historic district. We loved the Soda Shoppe and Coffee House there. There are a bunch of higher end restaurants that opened later in the day. We will be back to check those out.
Our Favorite Thing: Trolley Tour! This was a great family activity!
New Bern
New Bern is the second oldest city in North Carolina but is full of North Carolina firsts. The town boast the first state capitol, movie theater, post office, bookstore, bank, Roman Catholic Church, and printing press in the whole state. New Bern is an incredibly historical city on the Neuse River right before it hits the Pamlico Sound.
This town has plenty of shopping, restaurants, night life, museums, and parks to keep you busy for a full weekend. The historic downtown area is pretty large with plenty of places to explore. New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi, so don’t miss this fun little shop on Middle Street where you can purchase all things Pepsi. We had to get a couple of throwback glass bottles – it is like taking a step back in time, really great experience.
Of course no trip to New Bern is complete without taking a tour of Tryon Palace. This is the first state capitol and the grounds are beautiful. Tickets are available online or at the nearby North Carolina History Center. The best bet is to purchase the $20 day pass ($10 for youth grades 1-12) and be able to tour everything. The gardens are especially beautiful if you go at the right time of the year.
New Bern is known as Bear Town (there are a surprising number of bears along the NC coast). We love walking around finding all of the different bear statues the town has spread out. All of them are decorated differently and tell a different story. It is a really cool touch and fun for kids!
New Bern also has incredible waterfront parks. From the marinas to the river it is stunning. Plenty of room to get out and walk or enjoy a picnic. This town should be on the top of your list.
Our Favorite Thing: Birthplace of Pepsi..grab a bottle Pepsi or a get a Pepsi float!
Oriental
Oriental is a sleepy little fishing community on the banks of the Neuse River. It is known as the sailing capitol of North Carolina. If you are coming in from the west it is about 20 miles down 55 from New Bern. We like to come in from the coast because then we get to take the Cherry Branch – Minnesott Beach Ferry (which is free!). This town has plenty of historical homes, welcoming restaurants, and docks full of trawling boats.
The waterfront here is incredible and there is plenty of room for you to stretch your legs with a walk or bike ride. There are a couple of docks where you can go fishing and watch the sunset. Oriental has a ton of events throughout the year – highlighted by the Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival. If you have a chance to check this out, do it. They have a ton of local musicians and you spend the whole day walking around the town listening to them perform from the porches of historic homes. A really cool weekend!
Oriental offers plenty of bed and breakfast locations, a couple of inns, and some rental houses, but because it is so small it can be hard to get a reservation. We loved our time at the River Neuse Suites. They have some great rooms right on the water and within walking distance to everything you will want to visit.
For food, check out M & M’s Cafe, the Toucan Grill, Oriental Deli and Subs, or the Silos – which is a little outside of the town center. For coffee, malts, or ice cream – check out the Bean which is right on the water and a great place to watch the boats come in. Oh, and keep an eye out for the town Dragon!
Our Favorite Thing: Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival, one of our favorite festivals in NC!
Washington
Little Washington is located on the northern bank of the Pamlico River. This town has been under a revitalization over the last decade and it is doing awesome. Little Washington is the perfect place for a weekend getaway along the water. This town might actually have the best waterfront of all of the towns on this post (or at least tied for first with Beaufort and New Bern).
The downtown area has a ton of places to eat and shop in historic buildings. We enjoyed walking around there and the waterfront shopping, eating, and looking at the boats. We especially love the Meeting Place for a quick lunch, Rachel K’s bakery for all things yummy, The Bank for dinner, and Main Street Scoops for ice cream (the Dairy Palace is legit too). Next time we are in town we are going to go to King Chicken for some down home soul food, haven’t been, but have heard great things.
For nature lovers you can check out the North Carolina Estuarium, the country’s first. It is an aquarium for the sound. We had a blast there as a family and especially loved the water cycle sculpture in the main lobby – super cool. The estuarium gives FREE boat tours along the river, but you need to make a reservation in advance.
Right down the road is Goose Creek State Park. This park is beautiful and has a ton to offer in terms of camping, fishing, and boating. Make sure you check this out while you are there.
Our Favorite Thing: The Estuarium (we had never been to one before)!
Beaufort
Beaufort is probably the most accessible of the Inner Banks towns on this list. It is located right by Morehead City near the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. Beaufort might be our favorite town on this list (really five of these could be). Beaufort has an amazing waterfront where you can watch the boats go by, take a ferry to one of the many islands around the town, explore houses that are 250 years old all over the place, visit a National Park office, and plenty of options for food and drink.
When you go to Beaufort you need to go to Cape Lookout National Seashore. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in North Carolina and is also one of the most secluded. We have gone a couple of times and both of these times we counted no more than 30 people on the beach.
Most people stay on the sound side of the island. The sound side is a little different – but in a good way. The water is crystal clear and it feels like you are on a tropical beach thousands of miles of way. There is a great lighthouse and you can find all sorts of shells there. Check the National Park website for ferry times – sometimes (depending on the weather) they only leave from nearby Harker’s Island (about 30-minutes away).
On the way you can get off the ferry at nearby Shackleford Banks. Here you can spend the day swimming, walking on sand bars, or watching the wild horses running around. It is a true North Carolina experience.
Last time we were in Beaufort we stayed at the Beaufort Hotel. It was a really great resort that made you feel like you were away from it all. We highly recommend staying there.
Our Favorite Thing: The ferry rides…Cape Lookout being our very favorite!
Bath
Bath is the smallest of the Inner Banks towns on this list and maybe one of the smallest in all of North Carolina. As of the writing of this post the town has a population of 242. Bath is located on the mouth of the Pamlico River and has some stunning water views from the community park.
Bath is the oldest town in North Carolina (and has the oldest church). It was incorporated in 1705 – that is crazy old for the United States. You can go into the Van Der Meer House, built in 1790, to learn all about the history. There are not a ton of options for lodging in Bath, so you will have to make a reservation far in advance. However, it is close to Washington and if you can’t make a weekend out of it, you can at least make an afternoon.
Besides being North Carolina’s first town, Bath’s other claim to fame is one of it’s earliest residents. Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard the pirate. Teach is rumored to have had a house in Bath. He stayed here during a short retirement from piracy before he was drawn back into the pirate life and ultimately captured and beheaded. The things you learn visiting these small towns.
This town is also close to Goose Creek State Park and has some excellent boating options.
Our Favorite Thing: The Blackbeard history!
Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City is the “Harbor of Hospitality” and it was easy for us to see why. Everyone we talked to on our visit here was extremely kind, helpful, and proud of their town. Elizabeth City is on the Pasquotank River right before it flows into the Albermarle Sound in northeast North Carolina. This town has a huge harbor that is fun to walk along and a pretty large downtown with plenty of shops and dining.
The town is right near both Dismal Swamp and Merchants Millpond State Parks. These parks are pretty unique in our state and are enchantingly beautiful. Both are great places to go kayaking or hiking. Just watch out for the bears and alligators!
There is a lot of history in Elizabeth City and the town offers a variety of tours. You can learn about the Underground Railroad, Civil War, Albermarle Sound history and so much more. The city also has a growing number of wineries and breweries (including the oldest in the state) if that is your thing.
Another cool thing you can do is to charter a boat or rent your own on Pelican Marina. The marina is located just across the drawbridge across from downtown Elizabeth City. This would make for a fun adventure!
Elizabeth City is the perfect gateway town to the Outer Banks.
Our Favorite Thing: Walking the waterfront, it was so quiet and calming on a Sunday evening.
Swansboro
Swansboro is one of the cutest Inner Banks towns on the southern end of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. This town is quiet and peaceful, a perfect place to go and relax. The historic waterfront along the White Oak River and the Intracoastal Waterway has a bunch of really cute antique stores, a good variety of restaurants, and plenty of public areas to sit and watch the water.
Like most of these towns on this list, this is a great place to play on the water. Kayaking is really cool here because you can paddle out to the sandbars in the river and then head straight to town to eat or relax. Swansboro has multiple chain hotels as well as some great Airbnbs and bed and breakfast locations and you can usually find a place to stay.
Hammock’s Beach State Park is in Swansboro and it is one of our favorite State Parks. This park is unique because the majority of it is accessible by boat only. You can take a ferry from the visitor’s center (for a small fee) to nearby Bear Island. This island has an amazing beach and is pretty secluded. If you take the ferry you will have to walk for a bit to get to the beach, but it is worth it. If you have your own boat or kayak you can just head there on your own.
Our Favorite Thing: Hammocks Beach State Park, its a unique state park experience – don’t miss the Ferry to Bear Island!
That’s our list! In the comments below let us know how many of these Inner Banks towns you have been to and which one is your favorite. We think each of these towns deserves a visit! This part of NC is so special and different. Thanks for checking this out and have fun going the adventure way at these awesome Inner Banks towns!
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