Nags Head, North Carolina: Castle Buried in "East Coast's Tallest Sand Dune"

The nice lady at the Jockey's Ridge State Park visitor center informed us that as of right now (7/13/13), the castle is currently buried and that unfortunately, every time it is visible, it appears to be even more damaged. Bummer.

Not much showing right now. It's across the highway from the kite shop.

We visited the Kitty Hawk Kites tower to see this castle. Didn't look like it was falling apart to us, but we didn't hike up the dune.

The Castle is fully exposed from the road -- the walk to it takes less then 3 minutes. It is probably 10 feet tall at best and falling apart into pieces. Nothing to go out of your way to see.

A short hike from Kitty Hawk Kites takes you to the top of a sand dune where a real sand castle is. The castle is part of a miniature golf course the dune took over years ago.

The top of the castle is the only thing left showing, and you have to hike to the top of the dune to see it. The walk up the dune is longer and more strenuous than it looks, so take it easy. On a hot day, try going in the morning or late afternoon when the sun isn't as strong. Also, there are sand spurs so be sure to wear sneakers.

The wind is constantly changing the shape of the dune. Sometimes that makes more or less of the castle show. If I remember right, the castle was around 30 feet tall. Kids think it is amazing that there is still a whole castle buried under the sand. Keep in mind, it is part of Jockey's Ridge National Park, so no digging!