You'll Find Lots of Creative Art on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Dock on the Outer Banks of NC. You Can Rent Boats and Go Fishing If You Like.
To Hop From Island to Island - Just Take a Ferry. Be Sure to Check Schedules Though.
If You Stay a While or Get Lucky, You Can see Wild Ponies on the Outer Banks.Cape Hatteras National Park is really a string of islands called the “outer banks”of North Carolina. The park includes land running up three islands off the coast of North Carolina. The park stretches about 70 miles with the average width for the islands being about a mile across.
These islands are called the outer banks, since they provide protection for the mainland coast of North Carolina and serve as a buffer. Since the islands are battered by the ocean and storms, the shape of the islands changes constantly. This is a good area for anyone interested in how the oceans impact our coastlines.
On the flip side, the islands have seen many ship wrecks from the ocean side. If you’re a history buff, then you’ll want to read up on the wrecks during the World War era when German U boats washed up on the shores. Divers should check out Olympus Dive Center to learn about wrecks to visit underwater.
Since the shoreline is rough and ragged with harsh weather at times, each island supports a lighthouse to warn boaters. Lighthouse models are very popular souvenir items to purchase on the islands and on the mainland. This is a fabulous spot to visit if you love lighthouses and lighthouse history.
On to the Park(s) . . .
My suggestion for a trip would be to travel the length of the islands and plan on staying at Ocracoke. You get a better feel for the area and the history by taking your time and hitting all three islands. This is a slow and easy drive with lots of places to stop off and look around.
Bodie Island
The first island starting north and moving south is Bodie. Actually it’s not really an island anymore. As the landscape has changed, Bodie has shifted and connected to mainland NC at Nags Head, NC. Be sure to visit Kitty Hawk and see where the Wright Brothers took their first flight before (or after) you visit the islands.
Most visitors hit the outer banks by way of Bodie. The Bodie Lighthouse has a visitors center and museum. This is the third lighthouse at Bodie. The government wouldn’t put money into securing the first lighthouse, so it washed out during a storm. The second one was destroyed during the Civil War. The current lighthouse built in 1872 is slim black and white striped. Visitors can’t go in the lighthouse, but it is nice for pictures.
From the lighthouse area, you can take an easy trail—Bodie Island Dike Trail. This is a marshy area with lots of water birds. There is a fresh water pond created with a dam, which is the home to many ducks. Easter Seals donated a beach wheelchair with big tires, which can be borrowed so that disabled visitors can go on the trails and down on the beach.
You can pick up a map and information about the park at the Visitor Center, which was the house for the light keeper at one point. Light keepers were no longer needed to maintain the lighthouses after electric lights were added. That’s kind of sad, since lighthouse keeping sounded like a really romantic way to make a living.
Be sure to check out the summer programs offered at all three islands. One program is crabbing where you go out and learn to catch crabs. Another is a beach campfire. Kids can also pick up a Junior Ranger brochure. By taking part in some programs and activities, kids can earn a patch during the trip.
Hatteras Island
To get to Hatteras (the second island) you drive highway 12 across the bridge from Bodie. This is the biggest island and the most touristy though none of the islands on the park line are developed like most beach areas.
Hatteras is the home of the nations tallest lighthouse (208 feet). The lighthouse was almost eaten up by the ocean, but it was moved back in 1999. This is the only lighthouse in the park that you can go inside. It has been closed due to some safety problems with the steps, but it is expected to be open again soon.
Hatteras is the largest of the islands and makes up the biggest portion of the national park. Here you will find the bulk of island visitors. Camping is popular here and also boating. The Park has four campgrounds with low prices, and you’ll also see some commercial campgrounds. Marinas are scattered up and down the shoreline.
Swimming is open on the sound side and ocean side. Water is calm and warmer on the sound side and is good for beginning swimmers. The ocean side has good surfing and wind-boarding. If you don’t have equipment, you can rent or buy on the island.
Fishing is considered some of the best on the east coast. If you fish in the ocean, then you don’t need a license (or not the last time I checked). Fishing from the sound requires a NC fishing license for ages 16 and over.
Ocracoke Island
Okracoke is the isolated and least visited of the outer banks islands, because you can’t drive over. To get to Okracoke you take a 40-minute ferry ride over from Hatteras or from the mainland at Swan Quarter or Cedar Island. The mainland trip over takes about 2 ½ hours.
To get a feel for the island and the history or this sleepy area, be sure to stop at the Visitor Center there on the harbor. You can get information about a walking tour. You cover the town and read about the great history. It takes about an hour and a half to take the self-paced tour. They also have car tour information by tuning in on the AM station.
One of the most interesting stories on the island is about Black Beard the pirate. His head was cut off on this island and sent to Bath, NC. His treasure is supposed to be somewhere buried on Ocracoke.
There are lots of quaint privately owned little shops on the island. They also have two small grocery stores that will remind you of the old time stores on the Little House on the Prairie TV show from a few years back.
When you get hungry, try The Back Porch, which is about a half mile north of town. It’s a small place with a screened in porch. The food is really good, and you can even buy a cookbook featuring the specialties.
About 5 miles outside the village off of Highway 12 you’ll see the Baker ponies. No one is sure how the ponies got to the island, but they have many interesting stories about that. The ponies ran free up until the 1950s when the area was closed in to protect the island from overgrazing and to protect the ponies from traffic. At one point the Boy Scouts cared for the ponies, but now the Park Rangers do that.
You can rent bikes for traveling around Ocracoke, and that is probably the best way to see and enjoy the island. If you drive a car, then you don’t see much water (on any of the islands), and you don’t get to stop and chat with locals and other visitors.
A Different Beach Experience
Cape Hatteras is a very different beach experience from commercial areas like Ocean City or Myrtle Beach. You’ll see natural beaches, marshes, and lots of water birds. It’s quieter and the pace is slower. If you enjoy nature, then this is the beach spot you’ll love.
During the warmer months, this area is fairly busy. During the cold weather, you’ll have the beach almost to yourself. If you visit during colder weather, you’ll need to bring food and supplies. Many shops and restaurants close down during the off-season.
A Few Extra Tips
-Be sure to use sunscreen. Although the sun may not feel as intense on the island, you can easily burn.
-There are lots of bugs on the islands. Mosquitoes and horse flies may eat you up especially if you lotion up. Take some bug spray (or eat lots of garlic).
-Keep a jacket in the trunk. When a storm comes up or when the sun goes down, the temperatures drop a lot.
-Stick a kite in. This is a great area to fly kites. Kites also make good markers if members of your group wander on down the shore.
These islands are called the outer banks, since they provide protection for the mainland coast of North Carolina and serve as a buffer. Since the islands are battered by the ocean and storms, the shape of the islands changes constantly. This is a good area for anyone interested in how the oceans impact our coastlines.
On the flip side, the islands have seen many ship wrecks from the ocean side. If you’re a history buff, then you’ll want to read up on the wrecks during the World War era when German U boats washed up on the shores. Divers should check out Olympus Dive Center to learn about wrecks to visit underwater.
Since the shoreline is rough and ragged with harsh weather at times, each island supports a lighthouse to warn boaters. Lighthouse models are very popular souvenir items to purchase on the islands and on the mainland. This is a fabulous spot to visit if you love lighthouses and lighthouse history.
On to the Park(s) . . .
My suggestion for a trip would be to travel the length of the islands and plan on staying at Ocracoke. You get a better feel for the area and the history by taking your time and hitting all three islands. This is a slow and easy drive with lots of places to stop off and look around.
Bodie Island
The first island starting north and moving south is Bodie. Actually it’s not really an island anymore. As the landscape has changed, Bodie has shifted and connected to mainland NC at Nags Head, NC. Be sure to visit Kitty Hawk and see where the Wright Brothers took their first flight before (or after) you visit the islands.
Most visitors hit the outer banks by way of Bodie. The Bodie Lighthouse has a visitors center and museum. This is the third lighthouse at Bodie. The government wouldn’t put money into securing the first lighthouse, so it washed out during a storm. The second one was destroyed during the Civil War. The current lighthouse built in 1872 is slim black and white striped. Visitors can’t go in the lighthouse, but it is nice for pictures.
From the lighthouse area, you can take an easy trail—Bodie Island Dike Trail. This is a marshy area with lots of water birds. There is a fresh water pond created with a dam, which is the home to many ducks. Easter Seals donated a beach wheelchair with big tires, which can be borrowed so that disabled visitors can go on the trails and down on the beach.
You can pick up a map and information about the park at the Visitor Center, which was the house for the light keeper at one point. Light keepers were no longer needed to maintain the lighthouses after electric lights were added. That’s kind of sad, since lighthouse keeping sounded like a really romantic way to make a living.
Be sure to check out the summer programs offered at all three islands. One program is crabbing where you go out and learn to catch crabs. Another is a beach campfire. Kids can also pick up a Junior Ranger brochure. By taking part in some programs and activities, kids can earn a patch during the trip.
Hatteras Island
To get to Hatteras (the second island) you drive highway 12 across the bridge from Bodie. This is the biggest island and the most touristy though none of the islands on the park line are developed like most beach areas.
Hatteras is the home of the nations tallest lighthouse (208 feet). The lighthouse was almost eaten up by the ocean, but it was moved back in 1999. This is the only lighthouse in the park that you can go inside. It has been closed due to some safety problems with the steps, but it is expected to be open again soon.
Hatteras is the largest of the islands and makes up the biggest portion of the national park. Here you will find the bulk of island visitors. Camping is popular here and also boating. The Park has four campgrounds with low prices, and you’ll also see some commercial campgrounds. Marinas are scattered up and down the shoreline.
Swimming is open on the sound side and ocean side. Water is calm and warmer on the sound side and is good for beginning swimmers. The ocean side has good surfing and wind-boarding. If you don’t have equipment, you can rent or buy on the island.
Fishing is considered some of the best on the east coast. If you fish in the ocean, then you don’t need a license (or not the last time I checked). Fishing from the sound requires a NC fishing license for ages 16 and over.
Ocracoke Island
Okracoke is the isolated and least visited of the outer banks islands, because you can’t drive over. To get to Okracoke you take a 40-minute ferry ride over from Hatteras or from the mainland at Swan Quarter or Cedar Island. The mainland trip over takes about 2 ½ hours.
To get a feel for the island and the history or this sleepy area, be sure to stop at the Visitor Center there on the harbor. You can get information about a walking tour. You cover the town and read about the great history. It takes about an hour and a half to take the self-paced tour. They also have car tour information by tuning in on the AM station.
One of the most interesting stories on the island is about Black Beard the pirate. His head was cut off on this island and sent to Bath, NC. His treasure is supposed to be somewhere buried on Ocracoke.
There are lots of quaint privately owned little shops on the island. They also have two small grocery stores that will remind you of the old time stores on the Little House on the Prairie TV show from a few years back.
When you get hungry, try The Back Porch, which is about a half mile north of town. It’s a small place with a screened in porch. The food is really good, and you can even buy a cookbook featuring the specialties.
About 5 miles outside the village off of Highway 12 you’ll see the Baker ponies. No one is sure how the ponies got to the island, but they have many interesting stories about that. The ponies ran free up until the 1950s when the area was closed in to protect the island from overgrazing and to protect the ponies from traffic. At one point the Boy Scouts cared for the ponies, but now the Park Rangers do that.
You can rent bikes for traveling around Ocracoke, and that is probably the best way to see and enjoy the island. If you drive a car, then you don’t see much water (on any of the islands), and you don’t get to stop and chat with locals and other visitors.
A Different Beach Experience
Cape Hatteras is a very different beach experience from commercial areas like Ocean City or Myrtle Beach. You’ll see natural beaches, marshes, and lots of water birds. It’s quieter and the pace is slower. If you enjoy nature, then this is the beach spot you’ll love.
During the warmer months, this area is fairly busy. During the cold weather, you’ll have the beach almost to yourself. If you visit during colder weather, you’ll need to bring food and supplies. Many shops and restaurants close down during the off-season.
A Few Extra Tips
-Be sure to use sunscreen. Although the sun may not feel as intense on the island, you can easily burn.
-There are lots of bugs on the islands. Mosquitoes and horse flies may eat you up especially if you lotion up. Take some bug spray (or eat lots of garlic).
-Keep a jacket in the trunk. When a storm comes up or when the sun goes down, the temperatures drop a lot.
-Stick a kite in. This is a great area to fly kites. Kites also make good markers if members of your group wander on down the shore.
Want To Hear the Flavor of the Outer Banks? Check out this video. You will the islanders talk about the various terms from the area. You will also hear the interesting dialect from the eastern shore of the Outer Banks. Plenty of humor thrown in too.
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