Kitty Hawk NC North Carolina
USA

36 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

American Cruise Lines (36 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

On the sound side, in the sheltered waters of the Intracoastal, away from Atlantic surf. Passengers then reach the sites by organized excursion: this is not a call where you step off at the attractions.
Not really. The island is only minutes wide by vehicle, but the main sites — the Wright Brothers memorial, the Jockey's Ridge dunes — lie several kilometres south. Plan on an excursion or a vehicle.
Allow a good two hours for the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kill Devil Hills: the visitor centre, the markers for the four flights, the reconstructed 1903 camp and the climb to the monument. Add the Jockey's Ridge dunes and a meal of blue crab or oysters at a roadside shack.
Not exactly, and the distinction is worth knowing. The flight of 17 December 1903 took place at Kill Devil Hills, a few kilometres south; Kitty Hawk was simply the post office of the day, from which the telegram that gave the feat its name was sent. The memorial is therefore at Kill Devil Hills.
Stone markers showing the distance of each of the four flights of 17 December 1903 — the first twelve seconds and 37 metres, the last nearly 260 metres — a faithful reproduction of the Flyer in the visitor centre, the rebuilt hangar and workshop, and a granite monument on the great dune.
For four practical reasons: steady wind, soft ground to cushion crashes, open space as far as the eye can see, and isolation that kept the work secret, far from mocking reporters. They returned four summers running before they succeeded.
The tallest living sand dunes on the US east coast, at Nags Head, shifting with every storm. You walk them barefoot in an almost Saharan landscape rising up to 30 metres above the rooftops, and hang-glider pilots launch from the slopes.
Very much so. The Wright memorial captivates children who like aircraft, the Jockey's Ridge dunes are made for running down, and the ocean beaches are wide. The near-constant wind is a gift for kites — but bring a hat that stays on.
Blue crab, sound oysters, lightly fried shrimp and clam chowder, served in salt-weathered wooden shacks. Stands also sell the local doughnut and iced lemonade, welcome after the climb up the dunes.
Late spring to early autumn, when American coastal cruises run the Intracoastal. Keep in mind that Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November and that this barrier island is particularly exposed.