Nags Head Town Trail (Yellow)

Best Time to Hike the Nags Head Town Trail (Yellow)

Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons for the Nags Head Town Trail — its wetter, marshier stretches get buggy and humid by mid-summer. Aim for cooler months if you'd rather avoid the insects and humidity that build up later in the season.

Nags Head Town Trail (Yellow) Trail Tips

• Wear closed-toe shoes — trails throughout Nags Head Woods Preserve run over exposed roots.
• Dogs are welcome on this trail on leash.
• This trail is one of eight self-guided trails in the Nags Head Woods Preserve network, open daily from dawn to dusk.

Getting to the Nags Head Town Trail (Yellow) Trailhead

The trailhead sits behind the playground and restrooms at Nags Head Town Park on Health Center Drive. Reach it via Barnes Street off the Bypass near Ace Hardware — no separate Nags Head Woods Preserve entrance is required, since the trail starts directly from the town park. Nags Head Town Park itself has a playground, picnic shelter, restrooms, and water fountains, so it's easy to make a longer stop of it before or after the hike.

What to Expect on the Nags Head Town Trail (Yellow)

The Nags Head Town Trail is trail #7 in Nags Head Woods Preserve's own numbering, a yellow-blazed route through the maritime forest preserve jointly managed by The Nature Conservancy and the Town of Nags Head. From the trailhead, a wide dirt path climbs through forested dunes, crosses Old Nags Head Woods Road, then drops into wetlands that transition to brackish marsh before ending at a small beach on Roanoke Sound. The preserve's own trail guide rates it a moderate hike — enough elevation change and root-crossed footing to notice, without technical difficulty.