Favorite Beaches near Triangle (Raleigh, Wilmington: oceanfront, hotel, home)

[lovesunnydays]

Can anyone provide suggestions for beach trips? For a day trip and/or overnight? (I've heard that from Clayton, you can get to a beach in an hour and a half - does anyone know which beach that might be?)

[lamishra]

Wrightsville is the closest to Clayton. It's nice, but parking is difficult in the summer. You should be fine going down there this time of year though.

[NC man]

Atlantic Beach is the 131 miles to clayton (right down hwy 70 E) 122 miles to Wrightsville.

[uncletupelo]

Bogue Banks(aka The Crystal Coast) is my favorite by far. There are great public beaches and over 50 miles of protected, pristine beaches at Cape Lookout National Seashore complete with wild horses. Fort Macon State Park is really neat and has great beaches as well(and plenty of parking). Bogue Banks consists of Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Indian Beach, Salter Path(home of the states best shrimpburger) Indian Beach and Emeral Isle. It takes me 2:45 door to door from Raleigh to my home at PKS.

[mdp_az]

For a day trip, its hard to beat Topsail Island...almost as close as Wrightsville, but takes less time b/c you don't have to drive around looking for a place to park.

[CHTransplant]

Originally Posted by lamishra

Wrightsville is the closest to Clayton. It's nice, but parking is difficult in the summer.

Or you can go a little south of Wilmington/Wrightsville to Carolina Beach and Kure Beach

[hula]

Originally Posted by CHTransplant

Or you can go a little south of Wilmington/Wrightsville to Carolina Beach and Kure Beach

Don't you love that they call it "Pleasure Island?!!" I really enjoy Kure Beach and recommend Freddie's for dinner. After visiting the NC aquarium I like to take the ferry to Southport. There's a great little place there to get lunch on the water called The Provision Company. Always excellent and cheap!

[QCP]

I love Wrightsville Beach....but gettin' chomped by a shark would be more pleasant than trying to find a parking spot on a weekend.

[GarnerMama]

I love Kure Beach. It's worth the extra 20 minute drive. I love picnicking at Ft. Fisher, going to the aquarium, and riding the ferry. Carolina Beach was fun growing up, they boardwalk was full of shops and games. It's gone down hill over the years. There's a nice hotel in Kure, or it maybe right at the Carolina/Kure line called Golden Sands. They have a new tower that's non smoking with nice oceanfront rooms and an indoor pool. It's perfect for overnights and the kids loved being able swim. There's also a Marriott in Carolina Beach but it's way too expensive. There are a lot of little motels that have been there for ages. They can be fun, it just depends on what you're looking for. My husband and I stayed at one of the smaller motels near the pier during a getaway. We fished and it was perfect; but I have a 3 and 5 year old...a shack on the beach can be perfect for me as long as it's quiet!

[lovesunnydays]

thanks for all the suggestions! I grew up in Va Beach and am only familiar with Nags Head and Hatteras, which don't seem to get mentioned as a typical destination from Raleigh - which makes sense as they look like more than 3 hrs away. But just curious, are there reasons other than distance that nc people suggest the beaches toward the south more?