Things to do nearBeaufort Town Docks

Beaufort Town Docks has served mariners since the town itself was laid out in the early eighteenth century, making it one of the oldest active waterfronts on the North Carolina coast. The docks sit at the foot of Front Street, a broad, shaded avenue lined with restored colonial and antebellum homes that back right up to the water. That continuity between the historic streetscape and the working docks gives the place a character that feels earned rather than curated.

From the docks, the view across Taylor Creek takes in the Rachel Carson Reserve, a protected stretch of marsh, tidal flat, and maritime shrub where bottlenose dolphins are a common sight. Ferries and water taxis depart regularly for Shackleford Banks, the undeveloped barrier island where a herd of feral horses has roamed for centuries.

Anglers, cruisers, and kayakers all use the docks as a staging point, and local outfitters offer boat tours into the surrounding waterways. The wider area rewards exploration in every direction, from the tidal creeks of the reserve to the open Atlantic beyond Beaufort Inlet.

Beaufort Town Docks distills everything that draws visitors to this corner of North Carolina: genuine maritime history, accessible wild nature, and a waterfront that has never stopped working.