The Sandhills, NC, Guide and Information

The Sandhills of North Carolina are known for their sandy soil (as you could probably guess by the name), pine trees, unique wildlife and cottage architecture. The region offers travelers lots of outdoor adventure, as well as plenty of golf, and a vibe that’s totally unlike what you’ll find anywhere else in the South. Pinehurst and Fayetteville are the primary cities within the area, but there are also smaller towns to discover within this rural region.

If this is your first time in the area, there are a few can’t-miss activities to add to your itinerary, so that you get a full taste of the Sandhills.

The Sandhills of North Carolina are known for a lot of things, like golf, a unique ecosystem and historic villages, but the area is not as well known for its food. However, that doesn't mean that there's not delicious eats and treats to be found here — it just means you might need to look a little harder for them.

To help you get started, here are six of our favorite places to dine in the Sandhills of North Carolina.

You’ll find some of the best golf in the country in Pinehurst, North Carolina, particularly at Pinehurst Resort, an anchor site of the U.S. Open and the main attraction in this charming little town. With nine glorious golf courses at the resort, there are lots of fun challenges to be had. Made up of numerous places of lodging, including the elegant Carolina Hotel, condos, villas, restaurants, a spa and a fine lot of other recreational facilities, the resort makes up a good part of the town of Pinehurst. Take some time to visit the premises even if you’re not golfing or staying here, since it’s beautiful and many of the buildings and gardens are of great historical significance. A good part of the resort and village, in fact, make up part of Pinehurst’s National Historic Landmark District. Much of this recognition is due to Pinehurst’s prominence as one of the country’s original golf destinations (founded in 1895) as well as its landscape design, a superior outdoor composition created by Frederick Law Olmsted, a renowned landscape architect who also designed Central Park in New York City.

There’s more golf to be enjoyed in Pinehurst and within all of Moore County. Find out about it at the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. You can pop into their location in the heart of Pinehurst or visit their website. You can also find out more about other outdoor activities, events, shopping, dining, entertainment and other attractions at Moore Choices, the site for Moore County. Both of these resources will show you how much there is to see and do in the area and help you to line up every aspect of your stay. From wineries to breweries to theaters and more, there’s something for everyone.

Also known as the Carolina Sandhills, this unique region within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, spans a wide swath of up to thirty-five-miles wide that traverses the states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Characterized by sand sheets and sand dunes that have been formed throughout the ages, The Sandhills are largely made up of a multitude of windblown layers of sand, sandstone and clay. A fantastic ecosystem of longleaf pine and wiregrass sprouts forth from much of it, creating a backdrop that offers all kinds of scenic landscapes unlike others within the United States.

As one can imagine, these pine-punctuated vistas offer many fine opportunities for all kinds of recreation. What was once considered to be poor terrain (for farming or other agricultural activities) turned out to offer an idyllic setting for appreciating nature in raw and more tamed manners such as on the golf course, of which there are many in the area. (See More Highlights of Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen.)