'Byrd Sanctuary' Oceanside Home, With Rare Ocean and Sound Views - Vacation rental home in Duck, NC

"The home looks GREAT. Appreciate the bathroom updates! So thrilled to be here." 6/6/25 (J.S, - eight-time returning guest.)

Features: The upper level with its connected great room and dining room under cathedral ceilings and abundance of glass feels much like a extravagant penthouse. You have a commanding overlook of the area and both bodies of water—the Atlantic Ocean and Currituck Sound. A modest rotation of the home on the huge lot during construction directs your view toward the waters and horizons, while blocking out neighboring homes. The feeling is really “Wow! This is different. We’re on vacation.” Professionally decorated for your tranquility of mind, now complimentary to dream, no claustrophobic cabin fever from dark paneled wood walls and modest windows.

Also on the top level is a well-designed, completely equipped kitchen, a full bath, and an entertainment center with stereo, DVD, cable TV, DVR, fast Internet, video library, many books and puzzles. This room adjoins the Great Room through French doors, and can be a entirely enclosed, fifth bedroom with a closet, drawers, new and comfortable sleep couch, and direct access to a bathroom.

The lower level has 2 full baths and 4 bedrooms (each with direct access to a bathroom). A Master bedroom has a King-sized bed, a private deck, and TV with DVD player; the Queen-sized bedroom also has deck access; 2 twin bedrooms each have 2 single beds. All have ceiling fans in addition to central heating and cooling.

Extras: Expansive decks with Currituck Sound and Atlantic Ocean vistas and cushioned patio furnishings, dining table and umbrella; a portion of the upper deck is screened, with its own picnic table. Above it all is a ship's watch with seating and marvelous vistas, Inside, opulent wall-to-wall carpeting, heat & air conditioning, and ceiling fans throughout the home. Outside on lower levels are a rope chair, hammock, outdoor shower, and covered parking. Bed, bath, and kitchen linens as well as the cleaning service are included.

The Byrd Sanctuary, in the striking community of Carolina Dunes, can be your home at the beach. Savor the fresh breezes and water vistas while calming on one of the many cozy decks, or from every room in this cavernous, airy, and handsomely decorated vacation home. Cathedral ceilings and enormous Palladian windows allow as much nature inside as good housekeeping and the weather permits. From this strategic location on top of the dunes, you can see the sun rise over the ocean and set over the Currituck Sound.

Duck's new park and amphitheater is now open. Check the Town of Duck website (https://ducknc.gov) for scheduled performances and group activities—music, stage plays, morning yoga, etc. Golf courses are located close by, as well as indoor and outdoor tennis courts with professional lessons, clinics, and exercise facilities. There are massage and health spas close by. Safe bicycle trails exist from Corolla through Duck, to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Community streets are safe for cycling, walking, skating and ambling—an ideal beach neighborhood.

Your vacation home, owned and maintained by a property management professional of 40+ years, awaits you, in immaculate condition. (Average Customer Review - Five Stars )

Check-in and Checkout normally occurs on Sundays after May, to take advantage of reduced traffic (as opposed to Saturdays) in prime season. Your 'door key' is a 4-digit code unique to your reservation; no more being locked out when you forget your key. Check-in is done by e-mail, another customer convenience, with local manager close by.

Cancellation terms are more flexible than offered by Vacation Rental By Owner, so check with the owner for details if you are interested in the property but concerned about how cancellations are handled.

A recent guest e-mailed this endorsement, with a suggestion I add a comment to the website:

"Hi, Bryan,

Just to let you know I received the return of the deposit, thank you. We had a excellent stay and thoroughly appreciated your place. It was great for our multi-generational gathering and the location was ideal. Close enough to the beach the walk was no trouble, even loaded down with umbrellas, chairs, and sand toys! But far enough away that we didn't have to worry about the kids sneaking out to the beach alone and unnoticed while we were busy. We appreciated having table space for the whole family to dine together, the multiple decks (especially the top one for sunsets and star gazing), and having bedrooms remote from the living space so the adults could appreciate the evenings after the little ones were abed. Except for one trek to Cape Hatteras and one walk on the boardwalk, we just adored going from the home to the beach umbrellas to the water. It was incredible to have a well outfitted kitchen with tons of space and cookware, ample plates, etc, and the 10-year-old even commented on the "really nice silverware!" It would be good to let guests know that, although towels are supplied, they need to bring their own beach towels. . . trash bags, hand soap, dish soap, coffee, sugar, salt and pepper."

I hope this helps you plan your grocery store visit, and I will also mention a sizable beach cart has been added so the beach gear is simple to move about.

A few recent messages left in the Guest Book include:
From March:
We’ve so enjoyed our stay—great location, beach, sound.
Celebrated our grandaughter’s birthday. She said it was the “best gift”;
You know we are having a good time when we don’t even know the correct date - today is 4-1.
We chose no TV, radio; pretty.
Take care- good travels to all !

A partial-week guest in April:
“First time to the Outer Banks. We were able to get our family together to spend a memorable and fun Easter. We all appreciated Duck with its cozy stores, popcorn shop, and friendly people. Saw the Wright Brothers Museum, The Dunes, Lost Colony, Elizabethan Gardens and Aquarium. All were great and fun things to do. It was generally cloudy and very windy, with temps in the 50’s, but everybody had a great time. The accommodations were phenomenal and we would stay here again. The home was clean and the furnishings were bright, cheery, and comfortable for nine of us, which supplied ourselves and our daughters, son-in-law and grandchildren. (J&M)


From May guests:
Hey Bryan, We really enjoyed a impressive week @ Byrd Sanctuary. What a alluring and elegantly maintained home. Great time catching up with your sister. What a special person. Second time here, and we hope to be back soon. (R&S)
Dear Bryan: We had a handsome week with our friends here. Finest weather we have experienced here over the years. Adore Colington Café and Red Sky eateries. Excellent food! Art’s Place has gone downhill. Byrd Sanctuary, however, is still standing TALL! Thanks for sharing. (W&G)
Bryan, Thanks for keeping the home so nice; we appreciate our home away from home. The weather was ideal all week. Relaxing fun in the sun. Thanks for sharing your home. (The K’s)
Bryan – Thanks again – Our home away from home was ideal again. Few thunderstorms over nighttime but weather was great every day. Tried some new eateries – favorite was The Tail of The Whale – great food, great service.
Thanks again,

Bryan: Very very nice home. Thanks for letting us visit. Must say the home was spotless – passed this Marine’s inspection. Great view. Very nice area – peaceful and close to water. (The T’s)

From June guests:
(Long list of people and towns.) Our third year. We appreciate this place !! Great open kitchen, living space! Great decks and outdoor shower and a fantastic beach !!
See you next year !

Bryan – Thanks again for an impressive stay in Byrd Sanctuary ! The widow’s walk, deck & hammock continue to be my favorite places in the home. The vistas and the beach rock ! Thanks so much!
Jennifer & Crew

The Sxxxx family visited from West Bloomfield, MI – We had a excellent, much needed, week of beach and sun and fun. The home was ideal for us – all the beds were comfortable and the kitchen was equipped with everything we needed! We cooked every nighttime and appreciated the kitchen! We spent hours on the porch, and hours on the beach! Thank you so much for a marvelous vacation home – I hope to be back again next summer. “Ideal Weather” “Ideal Vacation Home.”

Bryan – We have yet again had a phenomenal vacation at Byrd Sanctuary. This year we particularly needed a long rest after moving from the rectory, our 42–year home to a new place – really exhausting. Thank you also for all the arduous detailing you did this year at the Sanctuary. I continue to treasure the astounding amount of natural light that pours into the main upstairs room. The hammock I think is my forever favorite.
Blessing always, M.

Thank you for an memorable stay in you elegant home. This was our first visit to OBX. We had many amazing adventures and terrific beach days.
This has been a true blessing!
Nathaniel, Angela, Joshua, Gabriel & Elizabeth (Clinton Corners, N.Y.)

As mentioned, complete guest comments are available at the link below in Owner Info.(discontinued by Vacation Rental By Owner), but here are the October and November comments surrounding what I considered an unfair review by a guest:

October
'What a fabulous week we have had!!The first three nights we had 3 college friends and 3 husbands. On Wednesday we sent the guys home and 3 more “girls” arrived!! (Everyone over fifty.) This was the ideal home for all of us! Many thanks for sharing your beautiful home with the “Radford Ladies”!!!

Bryan – As always, thanks for a great stay at the Byrd Sanctuary. This time we had Jeff’s mom here from Dunedin, New Zealand – it’s the first time she’s ever seen the NC coast and she adored it – from Corolla to Hatteras and of course much time in Duck!! Thanks again - (J & crew)

November
Beach girls!!! We returned to this handsome abode. What a fab home to celebrate 28 years of cherished friendship.