Downtown Morehead City boasts a vibrant waterfront atmosphere with dining, boutique shops, and live music at places like Jack’s Waterfront Restaurant, Southern Salt Seafood, Red Fish Grill, and King Mackerels Bar and Grill. You’ll find professional offshore fishing charters and local boat tours to places like the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, Shackleford Banks and the wild horses, and Sand Dollar Island. You can even go SCUBA diving and explore the shipwrecks of the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’ with Olympus Dive Center. The downtown area also features a white sand beach and swimming area, boat ramp, small fishing pier, park with a grassy lawn and swings, and local kayak rental where you can paddle over to Sugarloaf Island and enjoy the white sand beach there.

 

The Morehead City waterfront is home to events like the world-renowned Big Rock Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament, NC Seafood Festival, Crystal Coast Grand Prix boat races, Alive-at-Five live summer music series, Christmas flotilla, Fourth-of-July fireworks and live music, and New Year’s Eve fireworks and crab pot drop.

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It even boasts a sunset view that rivals that of its neighbor Atlantic Beach. If you have your own boat, you can visit the waterfront and dock at the local restaurants or the Morehead City day docks. No matter the time of year, there is something for everyone to enjoy on the Morehead City Waterfront.