Fun Things to do in Morehead City, NC

Unique small towns can be found in every state across the United States. Many times we just drive through them on our way to somewhere else. If you would take time to stop, shop, and eat in these towns, I think you would be pleasantly surprised! Small towns are “hidden gems” among the big, bustling, more popular cities.

In this series, I will highlight unique small towns from each state. You may be interested in reading about another great small town in North Carolina, Murphy.

Morehead City

The town of Morehead City is located on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. It’s a beautiful town bordered by two bodies of water, the Bogue Sound to the south and the Newport River to the north and east. The town has a population of about 8700. It’s a fisherman’s paradise. The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is held every year at Big Rock Landing in Morehead City.

History

In the 1850s a group of investors formed a land development project known as the “Shepard Point Land Company”. They purchased 600 acres of land on the eastern tip of the peninsula bordering the Newport River known then as “Shepard’s Point” which is the present-day location of Morehead City. Their purpose was to take advantage of the deep channel of the topsail inlet known today as the Beaufort inlet. They were trying to develop another access point for North Carolina’s timber products to relieve the pressure at the port around the city of Wilmington further south.

Governor John Motley Morehead was a member of the “Shepard Point Land Company”, the city was eventually named after him. The city was officially incorporated in 1860. The town prospered until the Civil War began and in 1862 it was occupied by Federal Troops. This greatly disrupted the progress of the town and it wasn’t until 1880 with the construction of the Atlantic Hotel and promoting the railroad, that they fully recovered and prospered once again. With this grand hotel, the railroad, and the natural beauty of the area, it became a premier summer destination.

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The Crystal Coast

The Crystal Coast of North Carolina is located in Carteret County and is called the Crystal Coast due to crystal clear waters and white sand beaches. It stretches 85 miles southward from Cape Lookout National Seashore to the New River inlet. It is also known as the “Southern Outer Banks” and includes miles and miles of protected beaches as well as many small communities.

• Cape Lookout
• Harkers Island
• Beaufort
• Atlantic Beach
• Morehead City
• Pine Knoll Shores
• Shackleford Banks
• Indian Beach
• Emerald Isle
• Cedar Island

Morehead City Hotel

We stayed at the Bask Hotel in Morehead City. It was a wonderful hotel. We had a King suite, with a water view. The room included a full kitchen, living room, large picture windows, king bed, and balcony. You can access the balcony from the bedroom or the living room.

Our room on the 10th floor had a great view of the harbor, Bogue Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.

Crystal Coast Hotels

Morehead City and the Crystal Coast have some great hotel options with a wide range of prices. You can stay in a suite at the Bask Hotel(on the Bogue Sound) in Morehead City, for about $130/night or the 1960’s retro hotel, Atlantis Lodge, at Atlantic Beach for about $129/night.

• Beaufort Hotel – Beaufort
• The Inn at Pine Knoll Shores
• Atlantis Lodge – Pine Knoll Shores
• Doubletree Hotel Atlantic Beach – Atlantic Beach
• The Beaufort Inn – Beaufort
• Islander Hotel and Resort – Emerald Isle
• Lighthouse Inn and Suites – Emerald Isle

Crystal Coast Campgrounds

We found many great campgrounds along the Crystal Coast. Some were next to an inland river or the Bogue sound, others were near the Atlantic Ocean. The only problem we ran into is that many campgrounds were full. A lot of them have year-round permanent sites. I don’t blame the campers for wanting to camp in this beautiful area of North Carolina year-round! Here is a list of the campgrounds we explored, and a few that we will explore next time;

• Harkers Island RV Resort and Campground – Harkers Island
• Cape Lookout RV Park – Harkers Island
• Coastal Carolina Campground – Beaufort
• Waters Edge RV Park – Newport(Near Morehead City)
• Goose Creek RV and Camping Resort – Newport
• Camp Ocean Forest – Emerald Isle
• Cedar Point Campground – Cedar Point
• Beachfront RV Park – Emerald Isle

**HIGHLIGHT** Harkers Island RV Resort and Campground. This is a beautiful campground on Harkers Island. We toured this campground with the groundskeeper and even had a chance to look inside a Park Model camper that was for sale. The campground is located right on the water and even has a private beach area. The campground is mostly full, but they had a few permanent sites available as well as a few Travel Trailers or Park Models for sale by the owner. The permanent site’s annual fees range from $4500 to $6500 depending on where it was located within the campground. We were tempted, for a while, to leave our life behind and stay here. But, eventually, reality sank in, and we had to go home.

Morehead City Restaurants

Morehead city has a wide range of restaurants to choose from. We had seafood, steaks, Mexican food, and Italian during our stay. My husband and I love seafood and it was difficult to choose which restaurant to go to, the area has so many great seafood restaurants!

• Ruddy Duck Tavern – waterfront, seafood, burgers, and pizza
• Circa 81 – farm/sea to table restaurant
• The Banks Grill – American food, great breakfast & lunch
• Snapperz Grill & Steam Bar – steamed and fried seafood
• Off the Hook – Caribbean food, outdoor seating overlooking the waterfront
• Floyd’s 1921 – Southern dishes
• Red Fish Grill – locally sourced seafood
• Casa San Carlo – Italian

**HIGHLIGHT** Snapperz Grill was one of our favorite restaurants. We went there several times while staying in Morehead City. We did not try their steam pot or steamed crab legs(which looked amazing) but instead had a seafood combo dinner and shrimp dinner. The next day we had lunch there. The restaurant is warm and inviting and I liked the booths which provided a lot of privacy!

Things to do near Morehead City – Crystal coast

• Sand Dollar Island Ferry – Morehead City
• Fort Macon State Park – Atlantic Beach
• North Carolina Maritime Museum – Beaufort
• Newport River Pier – Morehead City
• NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
• Cape Lookout National Seashore – Lighthouse
• Shackleford Banks horses

Sand Dollar Island Ferry leaves from Morehead City heading to Sand Dollar Island. The island is only accessible at low tide, which is also the best time to find seashells and sand dollars. The island is really a large sandbar that only shows itself at low tide. The island/sandbar is full of small tidal pools which range from ankle deep to neck deep, wading in these pools is the best place to find the sand dollars. The cost for the Sand Dollar Island tour is $20 adults(ages 12+), $11 children(ages 3-11). I can’t wait to hunt for sand dollars next time we are in Morehead City!

Fort Macon State Park is home to a military fort, as well as having an unspoiled shoreline for swimming, surf fishing, and beachcombing. The park also provides a way to learn about salt marshes, estuaries, and dune fields. Construction of the current fort began in 1826, it was garrisoned in 1834 and named after North Carolina Senator, Nathaniel Macon.

Fort Macon History At the start of the Civil War, Confederate soldiers seized the fort, they were attacked in 1862 and the fort fell to the Union. It was a federal prison from 1867 to 1876, then garrisoned again during the Spanish-American War. It was closed in 1903.

Congress allowed the sale of Fort Macon in 1923 and it was bought by the state of North Carolina for $1, making it the second state park in 1924. Restored by the CCC(Civilian Conservation Corps.) in 1935, the fort was garrisoned for the last time during WWII. We thought this was a really cool place to explore! We could imagine how the troops lived, where they slept, and where they ate.

North Carolina Maritime Museum is located in Beaufort. The museum has some great exhibits on pirates, including artifacts from Queen Anne’s Revenge, which was Blackbeard’s flagship. It ran aground on June 10, 1718, near Beaufort Inlet.

Cape Lookout National Seashore is located off Harkers Island. When you reach the tip of Harkers Island you will find the Visitors Center. A short boat ride brings you to the barrier islands that make up the Cape Lookout National Seashore. You can catch a ferry ride from both Beaufort and Harkers Island, they head to Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout Lighthouse. You will find a lot of fun things to do at Cape Lookout National Seashore; horse watching, shelling, fishing, birding, camping, lighthouse climbing, and touring historic villages!

In Conclusion…

My series is about showcasing small towns from every state across the United States. Morehead City is a wonderful small town on the coast of North Carolina. It is part of an area known as the “Crystal Coast”. We visited this town in February. It was a good time of year to avoid crowds, but we found that some of the services were not open for the season yet. We are looking forward to going back. Some of the things on my list; the Sand Dollar Island tour, a ferry ride to Cape Lookout Lighthouse, and seeing the wild horses at Shackleford Banks! Have you been to this part of North Carolina? Do you have a favorite small town? I would love to hear about your adventures, please leave a comment. Remember to share this post with your family and friends on your social media pages.

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