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
- (252) 449-2134, (252) 449-5055
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
- (252) 449-2134 and (252) 449-5055
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.
Ocean Atlantic Rentals
- 2001 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-7823
Ocean Atlantic Rentals is the ultimate vacation rental store. They rent many of the necessities, like baby gear, strollers, grills, linens, TVs and DVD players, rollaway beds, tables and chairs, wheel chairs, life jackets, etc. Plus they rent the fun stuff, such as surfboards, boogie boards, beach gear, utility carts, coolers, bikes, kayaks, rods and reels and sports equipment. They also have wedding supplies, such as chairs and tents. 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 is a cool shop that’s filled with anything you can need for getting the most from Mother Ocean. They sell surfboards, skim boards, body boards and skateboards. The staff here can help you select the right equipment.
Coastal Edge
- 1600 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 449-5560
In the summer, you can rent surf and skim boards at Coastal Edge Surf Shop. The shop also sells surf, skim, skate and body boards in the shop. They place skateboard ramps in the parking lot for riders (helmets are required, which you can rent in the shop).
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 from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
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 this 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. Stop in the gallery even if a workshop isn’t going on while you’re here. You can view some great local artwork and see the Artist’s Attic, the upstairs workspaces for the gallery artists.
KDH Cycle & Skate
- 203 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 8.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 480-3399
KDH Cycle has a variety of bicycles for rent and for sale. They can repair bikes and have a good selection of biking accessories and clothing.
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.
Lifesaver Rent-Alls
- The Beach Road, MP 9
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-6048, (800) 635-2764
You can rent everything you need for fun in the ocean at Lifesaver Rent-Alls. They have surfboards, body boards, flippers for body boarding, skim boards, surfboard racks and wetsuits. And they deliver!
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.
OBX Weightlifting & CrossFit Outer Banks
- 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. Gene Flynn, a local chiropractor, is the trainer and motivator here, and he knows what he’s doing since he’s a champion at the national level in Olympic Weightlifting as well as in the Highland Games (you know…muscled men in kilts throwing heavy stuff). This gym, in a new, much-expanded location on The Bypass in Kill Devil Hills, is home to a team of Olympic lifters from age 10 to 65 who compete nationally and internationally and consistently bring home medals. 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 Olympic weightlifting, Strongman and cardio equipment here along with strength-training machines and free weights. Gene and his partner, Tracy Maurice (who is #1 nationally in her CrossFit fitness category), recently opened CrossFit Outer Banks as well. Tracy offers a variety of classes from beginner to advanced. If you do this workout consistently, you’ll be in the best shape of your life. Walk-ins are welcome at this gym.
Paradise Golf
- 3300 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 5.5
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-7626
Kids love Paradise Golf for their extensive mini-golf course and video game arcade.
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. 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 perform repairs. To find the Bike Barn, turn off the Bypass by Taco Bell restaurant.
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!
