Recreation - Kill Devil Hills
Kill Devil Hills outdoor recreation opportunities are alive and well. The town’s great beaches host surfers, kayakers and anglers.
If you’ve never surfed, you can rent equipment and even take surfing lessons while you’re here. For anglers, you’ll find all the gear and bait you need in local tackle shops. You’ll also get advice on where to go to catch what’s biting. Stop in before you head to the beach or pier.
For kids, there are playgrounds, go-carts and mini-golf courses when you need a break from the beach. The whole family can enjoy biking. If you didn’t bring bicycles along with you, you can rent them for the whole family from bike or rental shops. Below we’ve given a few bike routes and some tips on safe biking in town.
The Outer Banks is home to many outstanding artists. You can see their work on display in galleries and then get creative yourself with craft workshops and a paint your own pottery studio. There’s tons of fun for everyone in Kill Devil Hills!
Garden of Beadin’
- 2200 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, Milepost 6 Plaza, The Bypass, MP 6
- Kill Devil Hills
Next door to The Front Porch Café and Glazin’ Go Nuts is Garden of Beadin’. This is a unique little bead shop with an extensive selection of beads, semi-precious stones and beading supplies. There is an activity center for children, and once a week a beading class is offered during the summer months. Call ahead for a schedule. This is a fun stop to make and can help brighten a rainy day at the beach.
Glazin’ Go Nuts Paint Your Own Pottery
- 2200 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, Milepost 6 Plaza
- Kill Devil Hills
This is the perfect stop for a rainy day or whenever the family is looking for a fun activity. Glazin’ Go Nuts is a paint your own pottery studio. Just pick out your ceramic piece, select your paints, then go wild . . . or nuts. They fire the piece for you, and it will be ready for pick up in a few days. If your vacation ends before then, they can ship it to you.
Just for the Beach Rentals
- 1006 South Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 9
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-6048, (252) 441-9480, (866) OBX-RENT
- map
Want to plan your own kayak tour? Just for the Beach Rentals has kayaks available for rent, the sit-on-top style, for single, double or triple paddlers. Or, if you want to leave your car behind, you can make like a local and pedal around town on one of their comfortable beach cruisers. Didn’t realize there would be so many great tennis courts in the area? If you didn’t pack your racket, you can rent one at Just for the Beach. And, if getting in the water is more your thing, they also rent surfboards known as soft-tops, which are ideal for beginning surfers. Surfboard rentals are $20 a day or $50 a week. They also have body and skim boards for rent for $8 a day or $20 a week. Just for the Beach can deliver everything to you.
Ocean Atlantic Rentals
- 2001 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9.5
- Kill Devil Hills
Ocean Atlantic Rentals is the ultimate vacation rental store. They rent many of the necessities, like baby cribs, high chairs, strollers, grills, linens, rollaway beds, tables & chairs, wheelchairs, life jackets, etc. Plus they rent the fun stuff, such as surfboards, boogie boards, umbrella & beach chairs, beach carts, coolers, bicycles, Ocean Kayaks and other sports equipment. They also have a vast selection of wedding supplies, such as tents, dance floors, and tableware. Delivery and pick-up are available.
17th Street Surf Shop
- 1007 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-1797
17th Street Surf Shop began in 1970, and ever since then has had everything you need for surf, skate and style. If you need equipment for surfing, skating, skimboarding and bodyboarding, you’ll find it here
Avalon Fishing Pier
- 2111 N. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 6
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-7494
Avalon Fishing Pier was built in 1958 and is 696 feet. They offer day, three-day, weekly and seasonal fishing passes, and you can pay a modest fee for sightseeing. Children’s passes are available to kids 12 and younger. The pier is open from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. in the summer months, and in the spring and fall it opens at 6 a.m. and usually closes before 10 p.m. You can buy bait here and rent tackle, and they even give you advice about what you need to catch what’s biting.
Coastal Edge
- 1600 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 449-5560
In the summer, you can rent surfboards at Coastal Edge Surf Shop. The shop also sells surf, skim, skate and bodyboards.
Colington Speedway
- 1064 Colington Road
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 480-9144
Colington Speedway is fast-paced fun. They have three tracks and a variety of go-carts, including the new open-style Scorpion Cart and Kiddie Carts for the younger set. Colington Speedway is open at noon starting mid-June to Labor Day.
CrossFit Outer Banks & Outer Banks Weightlifting
- 906 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 8.5
- (252) 202-4839, (252) 202-1878
If you’re serious about fitness, this is your place. This gym, on the Bypass in Kill Devil Hills, is home to Kettlebellers and CrossFitters, some of whom compete nationally. Of course, not everyone who calls this gym home competes like this, but there is a consistent theme of giving your all to your overall health, including what you eat, how hard you work out and how positive you keep your attitude. You’ll find CrossFit and cardio equipment here along with strength-training machines and free weights. CrossFit Outer Banks offers a variety of classes from beginner to advanced and Kid’s Fit as well. If you do any of these workouts consistently, you’ll be in the best shape of your life. A variety of Certified Personal Trainers are also available for private and group sessions to help you reach any goals. Walk-ins are welcome at this gym, and they offer day and week passes.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
- 1818 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 6.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 480-1838
Enterprise Rent-A-Car provides cars of several sizes for rent, including open-air Jeeps.
Family Recreation Park
- 602 S. Mustian Street
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-9199
The County Family Recreation Park is located on Mustian Street. To get there, turn west off the Bypass onto Colington Road, then turn left onto Mustian Street. The park is located beside the Kill Devil Hills Water Plant. There are fields for playing baseball, softball and soccer, tennis courts, a playground and a rec center with indoor courts, game rooms, exercise rooms and space for classes.
Hairoics
- 1314 S Croatan Highway, MP 9
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-7983
Hairoics opened the doors of their new location in Kill Devil Hills last summer to the loud applause of the community. With a loyal following since 1990 they have many of the top-rated stylists, nail techs, estheticians and massage therapists on the beach and believe in taking care of the individual needs of their clients creatively. If you’re feeling the need for some pampering, book yourself a spa day with manicure, pedicure, facial, massage and cut and color or any combination of those services. Enjoy a day with your girlfriends or plan to have your wedding morning bridal party hair and makeup done here. They also have a great boutique filled with products for hair, bath and body.
KDH Cooperative Gallery
- 502 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 8.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-9888
Come to the KDH Cooperative for Kids Craft Workshops. These are fun and informative art classes created especially for kids. Each student will bring home his or her own creation at the end of the workshop. Call for more information and to register in advance. Even if a workshop isn’t going on, make time to stop in to the gallery. It’s worth the trip, and you can view some great local artwork and see the Artist’s Attic, the upstairs workspaces for the gallery artists.
Kill Devil Hills Town Park
- Off Colington Road, west of The Bypass
- Kill Devil Hills
- No phone
The Kill Devil Hills Town Park is located by the Town Hall, also off Colington Road, west of the Bypass. The Town Park includes a path that is ideal for biking, walking and rollerblading, playground equipment and a roller hockey rink.
Lost Treasure Golf
- 1600 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 7
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 480-0142
Lost Treasure Golf is quite a sight on the Bypass. The course is designed to look like a Western frontier town, complete with caves and running waterfalls. A train carts golfers up to the first hole. There are two 18-hole courses to play.
Outer Banks Bicycle
- 203 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 8.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 480-3399
Outer Banks Bicycle has a variety of bicycles for rent and for sale. They can repair bikes and have a good selection of biking accessories and clothing. They are open year round.
Paradise Fun Park
- 3300 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 5.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-7626
Families have discovered a new adventure at the two recently renovated 18-hole pirate themed mini-golf courses here. They also have electric go-carts and bumper cars. This is a very family-friendly recreation destination.
RC Theatres Movies 10
- 1803 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 6.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-5630
This movie theater plays first-run movies and even has special rainy day morning show times. This also have a 3D projector making movie-going even that much more fun! Find out what’s playing by calling the number above or checking a local newspaper such as The Outer Banks Sentinel or The Coastland Times. The website Fandango also has listings for this theater.
Tennis
- Beside the Kill Devil Hills Library, off the Bypass
- Kill Devil Hills
- No phone
There are public tennis courts at MP 6 on the Bypass by the Kill Devil Hills Fire Department. Additional courts are located at MP 8.5. Turn off the Bypass onto Colington Road and take a left on Mustian Street. The tennis courts are beside the Kill Devil Hills library and the town’s Water Plant.
The Bike Barn
- 1312 Wrightsville Boulevard, MP 9.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-3786
At the Bike Barn you can rent or purchase bicycles for the whole family. They also do repairs. To find the Bike Barn, turn off the Bypass by Taco Bell restaurant.
The Outdoors Outfitters
- 210 Budleigh Street, Manteo
- (252) 473-1356
The Outdoors Outfitters is a true outfitter specializing in kayak tours for children and adults. They’re located in downtown Manteo but offer activities all over the Outer Banks, including the central beaches of Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk. Ask about their children’s activity tours, naturalist-led eco-tours, biolumenescence or full moon tours, sunrise or sunset tours or Your Family Only! tours. For rentals, they offer delivery to anywhere on Roanoke Island, Nags Head, Pea Island or Alligator River, or you can take the kayak on your vehicle. Don’t want to bring all your camping gear but want to camp? The Outdoors Outfitters rents tents, bags, pads, cooking stoves and other camping gear. Also operating out of this storefront is Nags Head Diving (see separate listing) for scuba diving lessons, tours and equipment. The Outdoors Outfitters store sells and rents scuba gear and spearfishing equipment. New this year, The Outdoors Outfitters is offering scuba diving charters, spear-fishing charters and sportfishing charters aboard their 38-foot boat, The Diving Pirate. They also rent bikes for adults and kids (they also have carriers for infants and little tikes) and offer bike tours of Roanoke Island.
The Pit Surf Shop, Bar and Grill
- 1209 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 480-3128 ext. 6
The Pit is a great place to check out if you surf or would like to start. Known for their friendly surf school, The Pit has some of the nicest and most knowledgeable surf instructors around. They have a huge selection of surfboards for rent or purchase, and their staff specializes in providing the right boards for beginners—boards that are wide, stable and easy to ride—as well as choosing the right board when you are ready to move up for more performance. Lessons last an hour and a half and are available for all ages and skill levels. And if you’re hungry from all this surfing (and thinking about surfing), check out their Boardriders’ Grill next door for great pizza, wraps, burgers and more!
