You've seen the marsh. You've seen the golden-hour surf and the neon-lit "Chateau" where John B and the crew plot their next heist. It looks like North Carolina. It feels like the Graveyard of the Atlantic. But honestly, if you hop in your car and drive to the actual Outer Banks looking for the Kildare County Sheriff’s office, you’re going to be wandering around for a long time.
The short answer to where is Outer Banks filmed is South Carolina. Specifically, the breezy, historic, and slightly humid streets of Charleston and the surrounding Lowcountry.
It’s a bit of a sting for North Carolinians. The show is literally named after their coastline, yet the production hasn't spent a single day filming on the actual barrier islands of the OBX. Why? It basically comes down to a mix of politics, infrastructure, and the hunt for a specific "vibe" that Netflix felt Charleston captured better than the real thing.
The South Carolina Switch: Why Charleston Won
When Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke first started pitching this "Goonies-meets-Dawson's-Creek" treasure hunt, the plan was always to film in Wilmington, North Carolina. It makes sense. Wilmington is a massive film hub—think One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek.
But back in 2019, North Carolina had a controversial law on the books known as House Bill 2 (the "Bathroom Bill"). Netflix, along with many other studios, took a stand against it. They refused to film in a state they felt wasn't inclusive. So, they looked south. Charleston, with its sprawling salt marshes, moss-draped oaks, and colonial architecture, was the perfect stunt double.
Even though the law was eventually repealed, the production had already fallen in love with the South Carolina scenery. It stuck. Now, when you're watching the Pogues outrun Ward Cameron, you're actually looking at Mount Pleasant, Shem Creek, and McClellanville.
Tracking Down the Pogue Life: Real Locations You Can Visit
If you’re looking to do a real-life location tour, you have to start at Shem Creek. In the show, this is essentially the heartbeat of the Kildare waterfront.
This is where you’ll find the docks where the Pogues hang out. Specifically, the restaurant known as The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene (or just "The Wreck") is 100% real. It’s located in Mount Pleasant, and yes, you can actually go there and eat shrimp grits. It’s owned by the family of the show’s creators, which gives it that extra layer of authenticity that AI-generated sets just can’t replicate.
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The Chateau and the Marsh
The "Chateau," John B’s iconic, messy home, is located on Secessionville Road on James Island. It’s a private residence, so don’t go jumping the fence, but the exterior is exactly what you see on screen. It’s tucked away in a spot that feels isolated and wild, which is exactly the Pogue aesthetic.
The marshes? Those are the Lowcountry marshes surrounding Charleston.
Filming in a marsh is a nightmare. Ask any camera op who has had to lug a 50-pound rig through knee-deep pluff mud. Pluff mud is that dark, sulfur-smelling sludge that’s unique to the South Carolina coast. It’s iconic. It’s also incredibly difficult to navigate, which is why those boat chase scenes are actually impressive feats of choreography and local tidal knowledge.
The Mid-Atlantic vs. The Lowcountry: Can You Tell the Difference?
Locals can.
The real Outer Banks in North Carolina are famous for their massive, towering sand dunes—like those at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. They are stark, wind-swept, and often look like a desert meeting the ocean.
Charleston is different. It’s greener. More tropical. You have the Palmetto trees everywhere (the South Carolina state tree). The show tries to hide the Palmettos sometimes to make it look more like North Carolina, but if you look closely at the background of the chase scenes in Season 1 and 2, those spiky leaves give it away every time.
Kildare Island is a Myth
One thing that trips up fans is trying to find "Kildare Island" on a map. It doesn't exist. The show creators made it up. In the real Outer Banks, you have places like Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Duck. In the show, they created a fictionalized geography so they didn't have to be beholden to the actual layout of the coast.
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Interestingly, in the show, they often talk about taking a "ferry to Chapel Hill." If you know anything about North Carolina geography, you’ll know Chapel Hill is about three hours inland from the coast. There are no ferries. It’s a hilarious geographical error that has become a bit of an inside joke among fans who actually live in the Tar Heel State.
Beyond Charleston: Expanding the Map
As the show grew in scale, so did the production. By Season 3, the treasure hunt went international, taking the crew to Barbados.
When the Pogues end up in "Guadalupe," they were actually filming in the St. John parish area and around Bathsheba Beach on the eastern coast of Barbados. The rugged rock formations and massive Atlantic swells there gave the show a much-needed visual reset from the calm marshes of South Carolina.
The Challenges of Filming in the Deep South
It isn't all golden hour and beer on the boat.
The heat is brutal. Cast members have frequently mentioned in interviews that filming mid-summer in Charleston is like "acting inside a sauna." Then there are the bugs. Gnat attacks and "no-see-ums" are constant threats when you're filming in the marsh at sunset.
Then you have the hurricanes. Production has had to shut down or pivot multiple times due to the Atlantic hurricane season, which usually peaks right when they are in the middle of filming their biggest outdoor sequences.
The "Look" of Outer Banks
The show uses a very specific color grade. It’s heavy on the oranges, teals, and warm yellows. This is intentional. The cinematographers, including J.B. Smith, want the show to feel like a "perpetual summer."
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They use a lot of natural light. They wait for "golden hour"—that short window before sunset—to film the most emotional scenes. This is why where is Outer Banks filmed matters so much; you need a location with a flat western horizon over the water to get that specific light, and the marshes of South Carolina provide that in spades.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Sets
You might assume the Cameron mansion (Tanneyhill) is a set on a soundstage. It’s not.
The interior and exterior of the Cameron estate are filmed at Lowndes Grove, a historic waterfront estate in Charleston built in 1786. It’s a popular wedding venue. If you have enough cash, you can literally get married in Ward Cameron’s backyard.
The contrast between Lowndes Grove and the "Chateau" is the visual representation of the Pogue vs. Kook divide. One is manicured, white-washed, and historical; the other is decaying, overgrown, and lived-in.
How to Do an Outer Banks Road Trip Right
If you're planning a trip to see these spots, don't just stick to the tourist traps.
- Start in Mount Pleasant. Walk along Shem Creek. You'll see the shrimp boats that look exactly like the HMS Pogue.
- Visit the Old Village. This area of Mount Pleasant is where a lot of the "street" scenes are filmed. It has that timeless, small-town feel that makes Kildare seem real.
- Head to Hunting Island State Park. Some of the more remote, "jungle" looking scenes from Season 2 were shot here. It has a lighthouse and a very prehistoric feel with the dead trees on the beach.
- Check out the Charleston Museum. While it’s not a major filming site, it gives you the context of the real "Gullah" culture and coastal history that the show occasionally touches on.
Final Thoughts for the Fans
The show is a fantasy. It’s a "sun-soaked noir." While the geography is a mess and the logistics of finding gold in a marsh are questionable at best, the locations are the secret sauce. Charleston provides a backdrop that feels heavy with history and secrets, which is exactly what a treasure hunt story needs.
Even if it's not actually North Carolina, the spirit of the Atlantic coast is all over the production. Just remember: if you go looking for the gold, bring bug spray and watch out for the pluff mud. It’ll ruin your shoes faster than a Kook can ruin a Pogue’s day.
Actionable Steps for Your Location Tour
- Check the tides: If you're visiting Shem Creek or the marshes, the "look" changes drastically between high and low tide.
- Book ahead: Locations like The Wreck get incredibly busy during the summer months due to fans.
- Respect private property: Many of the homes, including the "Chateau," are private residences. View them from the street or the water, but don't trespass.
- Look for the "Film SC" signs: If you happen to be in Charleston during filming season (typically spring and summer), keep an eye out for yellow production signs. They often use the code name "OBX" or sometimes a fake title to throw off crowds.