Bronco Meets the Wild Horses: A Trip to the Outer Banks

There is something magical about the Outer Banks of North Carolina. While traveling across miles of bridges, it was a no-brainer for the Bronco doors and top to be off. The smell of the salty air and summer breeze seemed to transport us to an area where we wondered if we were still in the United States. With miles and miles of sand dunes, untouched vegetation, and houses literally built on the beach, the Outer Banks is built for a 4X4 vehicle. The OBX is truly a place that just seems to call out to the Bronco owner. We parked our RV at a park right on the beach at Camp Hatteras RV Resort. From there, we ventured off to explore. We could have easily spent weeks here. The sand dune trails are clearly marked in the Hatteras National Seashore. An off-roading permit is needed and can be obtained only online at recreation.gov. You can print the permit yourself or you can go to a visitor center where they will print it for you. Just make sure you have it with you! Park Rangers are everywhere. 

Wild Horses of the Outer Banks

On the north end of the Outer Banks, we went in search of the elusive Wild Horses. Yep, a Bronco looking for a Mustang. Pretty fitting situation don’t ya think? In the area of Corolla and Carova, they offer Wild Horse Tours in a Hummer, but why pay for a tour when you can simply drive till the road ends and begin the search on your own. Make sure you check the tide schedule!!! On the way out we were able to drive near the water. Most of the stumps and driftwood were marked with a reflector but there are still plenty of obstacles to look out for. This trip we did not air down. We were fine out near the water when the tide was out. On our ride back when the tide was coming in, we noticed the sand was deep and it was a fine powdery sand. That type of sand honestly surprised us being that we were on the Atlantic Coast. However, the Bronco tackled it just fine, but next time we will air down for sure.

The History of the Corolla Wild Horses

Those horses just roam wherever. We saw some walking through people's yards, on the street in town, and out on the beach. The story is that they are from the lineage of horses left from the Spanish. The Outer Banks is filled with tons of sandbars and so many shipwrecks that it is called the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” More than 2000 shipwrecks are known in this area and the story goes that when the Spanish settlers ran on to a sandbar, they unloaded the horses in hopes of lightening their load to get off the sand. The herd has continued to live on several hundred years later! These horses are smaller than what we are used to seeing in Kansas. They were clearly used to cars and people as we sat and watched a horse look at us like he really didn’t care that we were there. The signs posted everywhere remind you that you are not allowed to approach, touch, or feed the horses and are to remain 50 feet away. We found this to be a challenge as they are walking right along the road you are driving on. 

Now the hard part...the sand. It’s everywhere!! That fine sand sure knows how to fly into all areas but what an experience. The OBX is definitely one we would recommend for all our fellow Bronco owners. Pitch a tent, take an RV, or rent a house on the beach - just don’t forget to bring the Bronco and some sunscreen...well, and a shop vac 🙂