More barrier island beach resorts line Bogue Bank, which runs south of Morehead City in a nearly east–west orientation for some 25 miles. The half-dozen family-oriented resort towns have freely accessible—but quite often crowded—beaches. The largest, Atlantic Beach, across a bridge from Morehead City, has a boardwalk backed by a go-cart track and a small amusement arcade. The State Aquarium (daily; $3), five miles west of town on Hwy-58, features extensive displays on the local loggerhead sea turtles.
At the northeast end of Bogue Bank stands Fort Macon State Park (daily; free), which centers on a massive pre–Civil War fortress overlooking the harbor entrance. The pentagon-shaped masonry fort, completed in 1834, was captured early in the Civil War by the Confederacy. In April 1862, Union forces retook Fort Mason after a bombardment, and controlled Beaufort for the rest of the war.
The Outer Banks
