NAGS HEAD

resort town, Dare county, eastern North Carolina, U.S., on Bodie Island of the Outer Banks between Roanoke Sound and the Atlantic, just south of Kill Devil Hills. 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 anchora ruse which tricked captains into running their ships aground on the shoals, where their cargo was seized. The place now has a large cottage colony and is popular for boating, swimming, and beachcombing. High, constantly shifting sand formations run along the sandy spit and include Jockey Ridge, which is usually more than 135 feet (41 m) above the sea and is regarded as one of the nation's highest sand dunes. The high, rolling sands and dunes attract sand skiers and hang gliders. Nags Head was incorporated in 1923 (charter repealed 1949) and reincorporated in 1961. Pop. (1992 est.) 1,850.