Sandy Run Park — Attraction in Kitty Hawk

We thoroughly enjoyed this park. The action-packed wildlife experience began mere steps from the parking lot as my son heard noises coming from the trash can from an unidentified mammal enjoying a nutritious meal. We enjoyed feeding more turtles than we could count. They seemed to like the kale and celery that we brought them. A raccoon rummaged around not far from us, right at the waters edge. An osprey carried a fish to its nest to feed its young (presumably, although it could have been bringing back dinner for a lazy spouse enjoying some TV time). Overall 10/10 experience. Will certainly do it again. Gained substantial XP from this adventure. Highly recommend to anyone that enjoys cool stuff.

Edit: 5/29/2024 we returned to this park and had another great experience. Every one of the park goers that we encountered were kind, courteous, and friendly. The turtles were every bit as excited to eat as last year as they chowed down on the watermelon rinds that we brought them. The Osprey nest was still thriving (and showed plenty of signs on the boardwalk beneath the nest of the birds eating well…if ya know what I mean). We were fortunate enough to encounter a Double-crested Cormorant that was enjoying asking in the sun’s rays as it groomed itself. Definitely will return the next time I’m vacationing in the area. Absolutely...

I hate to write this review because I want to keep this place hidden for only my family! This really is one of the hidden gems of the outer banks. This is a basic nature walk thru a pristine part of the outer banks on a beautiful boardwalk that is perfect for both the young and old. But the one thing that stands out the most of all the wildlife you can potentially encounter are the turtles. There are literally thousands of them eagerly awaiting your company and your bread (make sure to bring at least four loafs from Wal-Mart ) The best spot is the first pavilion you encounter. You can either feed them by hand or throw it to them in the water. Within minutes there are hundreds of them vying for your attention but mainly for the food! There are four more outcoves and a fishing pier that offer even more critters to discover. And best of all it's FREE! You can see crabs, fish,snakes, ospreys woodpeckers and a whole lot more if you walk slow and enjoy your surroundings. And that is all I am you go to tell because you have to experience it for yourself. I am from NJ and have owned in Duck since 87. This along with the Sand Dunes in Nags head are our annual stops when we are here. But please.. try not to tell too many...

Sandy Run Park has several names depending on who you ask. My runner friend called it snake park because the one and only time she ran there she came across 2 snakes. We go all the time (thankfully snake free so far) to visit the turtles(Turtle Park) and fish watch from the tower on the right side of the boardwalk. There are several places to drop a kayak in and of course, people fish there all the time. We called it Callie park forever as it was my daughter's favorite (and safe) place to go. She would run along boardwalk and we didn't have to hold her hand as there are rails all along. It is pet friendly with a water fountain and covered picnic area. There is a new playground, nice basketball area and crosswalk to the bike path that parallels The Woods Road (about 2 miles to US 158). This is a great locals spot with plenty of parking and a potty on site. It also backs up to Kitty Hawk Gardens which has a lovely selection of indoor and...