Best beach in NC?

Planning a trip in late July. We%26#39;ve visited Ocean Isle Beach thrice and loved it. But we are always looking for new adventures. Have we found the nicest beach already, or are there others to explore?

We drove down to Myrtle Beach and hated it - way too built up. We love the uncrowded sand and sun of OIB but have eaten at all the restaurants around there and would like to find new places.

Visited Kiawah Island, SC last summer briefly and thought it was really nice, but that%26#39;s a long drive from where we%26#39;ll be coming the night before - Washington DC.

Your insights appreciated!

Best beach in NC?

If you like quiet, try Topsail Island.

Best beach in NC?

They all have something to offer. If you like fine dining, Wrightsville is the place, although it is awfully crowded. Topsail is nice. My favorite, just because I have been going there for so long, is The Crystal Coast which includes Emerald Isle, Pine Knoll Shores and Atlantic Beach. PKS and Atlantic have the advantage of proximity to Beaufort. Then, of course, there is the Outer Banks which has the most options and is closest to DC.

Wrightsville Beach is a good medium. More built up than Ocean Isle and not as remote...but certainly no where near the level of Myrtle. And if you tire of all the restaurants there, historic downtown Wilmington is only a 25 minute drive away and full of dining, shopping and nightlife.

Traffic can be bad in peak season, but fortunately much on the island is walkable distance of each other.

Carolina/Kure Beach area. Just south of Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach.

Thanks, all.

And, with few exceptions, I think you will find the overall quality of the beaches themselves more or less the same along the entire coast. So focus on what you want around you in the way of population density, activities, dining, etc., and make your decision on that.

Usually, south of Hattaras, the water is warmer earlier in the season thanks to the Gulf Stream.

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