- sand dunes on the eastern shore. The famous Jockey's Ridge State Park offers breathtaking views of Nags Head from the tops of its giant dunes.
What is the legend of Nags Head?
It was so named, according to legend, because unscrupulous shipwreckers tied lanterns to the necks of ponies (“nags”) and marched them along the high dunes to simulate the lights of boats at anchor—a ruse that tricked captains into running their ships aground on the shoals, where their cargo was seized.