Friday, October 21, 2011

Sand Dunes

I spent the afternoon at Jockey's Ridge State Park in Nags Head, NC and what an adventure it was. There are several hiking trails that take you past points of interest with interpretive signs and also past people 'sledding' down steep sand hills and others preparing to windsurf or take off in ultralights and still others flying kites - it's the perfect location for all of these activities. Of course, to do anything remotely dangerous, you need to have proper certification.


Jockey's Ridge is one of the biggest sand dunes ever. 


There isn't much vegetation there, but I found these flowers blooming in October.



I took a picture of this interpretive sign.


Here is some more vegetation
and you can see what an amazing day it was in the Outer Banks.


These people were preparing hang-gliders for taking off.


Sand as far as the eye can see!


The park borders on Roanoke Sound. In the distance you can see the mainland of N. Carolina. The way back to my car was along the beach. I met a great blue heron fishing in the shallows, but didn't get a good picture, unfortunately.





2 comments:

  1. Wow! Some great pictures. What an interesting geologic feature.

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  2. Today, on a drive about 60 miles south to Cape Hatteras, we discovered that these kinds of sand dunes abound in the Outer Banks. The dunes at Jockey's Ridge, though, are right in the middle of the Nags Head community and are convenient for thrill-seekers, both young and old.

    The topography of the dunes, along with the favourable winds and helpful locals were reasons that the Wright brothers came from Ohio to the Outer Banks of North Carolina try out their first manned flights.

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