The Outer Banks of North Carolina are a slender strip of sand that extends out into the Atlantic Ocean. Today many visitors come here and stop to see one or more of the six Outer Banks Lighthouses. In this post I’ll take a brief look at each of them. I’ll also give you a suggestion about something else nearby that you can include in your sightseeing.
Why so many lighthouses?
To understand why there are so many lighthouses along the Outer Banks all you have to do is look at a map – or a satellite image. The Outer Banks extend into the Atlantic Ocean, a little like a bent elbow.
To travel by ship from New England to Florida or the Caribbean the straightest line passes very close to the Outer Banks. Also sailing ships liked to take advantage of currents whenever they could. The Gulf Stream comes from the Gulf of Mexico and kisses Cape Hatteras before heading across the Atlantic to Europe. A cold water current comes down from New England and meets the Gulf Stream at Cape Hatteras. Riding either of these currents gives ships an extra push.
Graveyard of the Atlantic
With all of the development of today it is hard to imagine the need for one lighthouse, let alone so many. But if you take all the development away there would be no houses lining the beach. There would be no water or cell phone towers. The wall of sand dunes that exists in some places would not be there. The few people who scratched an existence from the area lived in small villages on the edge of the Sound.
The beaches were nondescript and unremarkable. A shimmering reflection by day and almost impossible to see until it was too late by night. In a storm or a hurricane sailors had practically no chance. This resulted in hundreds to perhaps thousands of shipwrecks along the Outer Banks causing it to become known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
Lighthouses are like street signs or mile posts. By day the distinctive coloring of the tower helped to identify the particular lighthouse. By night the lights all had a distinctive flashing pattern for identification. Along the Outer Banks lighthouses are about 30-40 miles apart. When one tower disappeared from sight, the next soon came into view.
Today it seems the lights get swallowed up and in some cases are hard to distinguish but in the 1800’s when the towers were built, they were easy to see. The lighthouses and their lights were essential due to the ever shifting sands in the oceans and sounds.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse
We’ll start with the Outer Banks lighthouse that’s the hardest to get to – Cape Lookout. Located on Core Banks and completed in 1859, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse is not too far from Morehead City and Beaufort. It replaced an earlier lighthouse built in 1812.
During the Civil War the light was taken out of the lighthouse by the Confederates. Union troops occupied the Outer Banks early in the war and they put the light back in the lighthouse. Confederate soldiers tried to blow up the lighthouse in 1864. They were unsuccessful but did damage the stairs and the oil supply for the light. After the Civil War the light was put back into service with a First Order Fresnel lens.
Lighthouse Statistics
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse stands 163 feet tall and there are 207 steps leading to the top. It currently has an airport style beacon that flashes once every 15 seconds. The light is visible about 19 miles out to sea. From completion in 1859 until 1873 the lighthouse was unpainted red brick. In 1873 it was painted with its black and white diamond or checkerboard design. The center of the black diamonds align north and south. The center of the white ones are east and west.
Access to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse is by passenger ferry or private boat. There are restrooms, a small museum and water available. You will need to bring everything else with you. The lighthouse is usually open for climbing in the summer months. There is a fee to climb.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse Hidden Tip:
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is part of Cape Lookout National Seashore. This seashore is undeveloped compared to its northerly neighbor the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Take some time to explore the beaches here. These beaches will give you a glimpse of how the Outer Banks beaches looked before development. Often they also have much better shelling that other nearby beaches.
To find out more about the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Cape Lookout National Seashore click or touch here.
Ocracoke Lighthouse
The oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina is in Ocracoke village.
When the first English settlers came to the Outer Banks in the 1580’s they found Ocracoke Inlet. Since the Inlet continued to be important to commerce the new United States government authorized the construction of light here. In 1798 a wooden pyramid structure was completed on Shell Castle Island. Shell Castle was an island/shoal in the Inlet between Ocracoke and Portsmouth. Unfortunately, the changing channels moved the Inlet away from this early lighthouse. To make matters worse lightning struck this first lighthouse in 1818 and it burned.
Lighthouse Statistics
The current Ocracoke Lighthouse was constructed in the village in 1823. It stands 75 feet high and is about 25 feet in diameter at the base tapering to 12 feet at the top. The brick walls are 5 feet thick at the bottom and 2 feet thick at the top. In addition to being the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina it is also the second oldest operating lighthouse in the nation.
Originally the lighthouse had a white covering – a white wash containing lime, salt, Spanish whiting, rice, glue, and boiling water and it is still white today. The light is a constant light that does not flash. It is visible for about 14 miles. This lighthouse is more important to fishermen and small boat owners and is more of a channel or harbor light.
The village of Ocracoke is accessible by car ferries from the North Carolina mainland and from Hatteras village. Parking is limited at the lighthouse and the lighthouse is not open for climbing. There are no restrooms, exhibits or other facilities at the lighthouse but there is a National Park Service visitor center with restrooms across Silver Lake harbor. There are many shops, stores and restaurants in Ocracoke village.
Ocracoke Lighthouse Hidden Tip:
About half way up Ocracoke Island is a horse pasture. European ships often carried livestock. When these ships ran aground the livestock was thrown overboard to lighten the ship and refloat it. At one time horses roamed free on the Outer Banks. On Ocracoke they pulled carts for residents and the U.S. Lifesaving Service. In the 1950’s the Boy Scouts took over care of the Ocracoke horses and became the only mounted Boy Scout troop in the country. Today the horses receive medical care and supplemental feeding and are protected from vehicles in their pasture.
To find out more about the Ocracoke Lighthouse click or touch here.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse
The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is the farthest North of the Outer Banks Lighthouses. It is not the Corolla Light, a nearby resort.
As recently as the late 1800’s a dark spot of coastline existed along the Outer Banks. There were no lighthouses for 40 miles from Cape Henry at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Southbound ships tried to avoid the Gulf Stream. As a result they often got too close to the difficult to see shoreline and ended up wrecked.
In 1873 construction started on the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Completion and the first lighting of the lamp took place in 1875. The lighthouse features a First Order Fresnel Lens. First Order Fresnel lenses are about 8 feet high. To some they resemble a beehive – made up of crystal prisms with crystal bullseyes in the middle. This beautiful apparatus can focus the light into a strong beam. The light from the Currituck Beach Lighthouse is visible about 20 miles out to sea. The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was the last lighthouse constructed on the Outer Banks.
Lighthouse Statistics
Constructed near the small village of Corolla, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse is 162 feet tall and contains about one million red bricks. Unlike the other Outer Banks Lighthouses, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse was never painted and is identified by its red color during the day. At night the light flashes once every 20 seconds.
This lighthouse is owned by the Outer Banks Conservationists. This non-profit group started restoring the keepers quarters in 1980. The group received ownership of the lighthouse itself in 2003. The lighthouse is normally open for climbing from about Easter to Thanksgiving and a small fee is charged. The keepers quarters contain a small museum and gift shop. Restrooms are available.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse Hidden Tip:
The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is located in Corolla Park. This almost 40 acre site includes more than the lighthouse. Also on the property are the Whalehead Club, the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education and places to kayak or canoe and hike. The Whalehead Club was originally built as a hunt club. This 21,000 square foot home served as a showpiece on the Outer Banks. It attracted wealthy visitors from around the country. The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education has exhibits that focus on the natural and cultural history of Currituck County. All together the park makes for a great change of pace from the nearby beaches.
To find out more about the Currituck Beach Lighthouse click or touch here.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
The current Bodie Island Lighthouse (pronounced “body” not “bohdie”) is the third lighthouse built in this area of the Outer Banks.
The first two Bodie Island Lighthouses were built on what is today Pea Island. The original, constructed in 1847, was 54 feet tall. Unfortunately it did not have a solid foundation and within two years started to lean. Although repairs were tried it could not be made functional. In 1859 an 80 foot tall tower replaced it. Destroyed by Confederate soldiers in 1861, this lighthouse had a short life.
Completed in 1872 and located north of Oregon Inlet for the first time, the third Bodie Island Lighthouse became operational in 1872. Believe it or not, keepers at the Bodie Island Lighthouse were some of the most isolated on the Outer Banks. The nearest town for supplies, food and schools was Manteo on Roanoke Island. Only a 10-15 minute drive today, a trip to Manteo took all day by boat.
Lighthouse Statistics
The Bodie Island Lighthouse is 156 feet tall. The climb to the top involves 200 steps. The tower is red brick just like other Outer Banks Lighthouses. Identification of the Bodie Island Lighthouse is easy with the thick black and white horizontal stripes. At night Bodie Island has the most complicated flashing pattern of any of the lighthouses. It comes on for 2.5 seconds, off for 2.5 seconds, on for 2.5 seconds and then off for 22.5 seconds. So it has two flashes that are close together followed by a long dark period in each 30 second cycle.
Located just off North Carolina highway 12, the lighthouse can be a quick stop on the way to Hatteras or Ocracoke. There are restrooms and a visitor center in the keepers quarters. The lighthouse is normally open from late Spring to mid-October and can be climbed for a small fee.
Bodie Island Lighthouse Hidden Tip:
Bodie Island features several ponds and is a bird watchers paradise. Take a short stroll on one of the trails to a nearby overlook to see a variety of waterfowl and shore birds. Across the highway at Coquina Beach are some of the remains of the Laura Barnes a four masted sailing ship that wrecked in 1921. With hundreds of ships wrecked along the Outer Banks, most people want to see a shipwreck. Quickly broken up by the waves or salvaged by the local residents most shipwrecks disappeared. This piece of the Laura Barnes is one of the largest pieces of a shipwreck that is easy to see.
To find out more about the Bodie Island Lighthouse click or touch here.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Perhaps the most famous of the United States and Outer Banks Lighthouses is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Recommendations for a lighthouse at Cape Hatteras date to the late 1700’s. The Diamond Shoals, a series of shallow sandbars, extend 12 to 14 miles offshore from Cape Hatteras. The shoals are ever changing and create treacherous conditions for mariners.
Depending on how you view them, there have been two or three lighthouses at Cape Hatteras. Construction on the original Cape Hatteras Lighthouse started in 1799 with completion in 1803. Made of sandstone the lighthouse stood 90 feet tall and was approximately a mile from the ocean. The light from the original tower did not extend beyond the shoals making the lighthouse ineffective. In 1853 a sixty foot brick addition constructed on top of the original lighthouse made it 150 feet tall. Installation of a First Order Fresnel Lens, along with the increased height, made the light visible farther out to sea and the red brick over the white sandstone made the lighthouse identifiable by day.
After the Civil War the lighthouse needed extensive repairs. Construction of a new lighthouse began in 1868 with completion in 1870. Once the new lighthouse went into service the 1803 tower was destroyed.
Lighthouse Statistics
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is 208 feet tall. It is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. It was first painted with the distinctive black and white spiral “candy cane” stripes in 1873. Often photographed, make sure if you purchase an image of the lighthouse that the stripes are going the correct way. Officially, the description of the stripes is alternating black and white stripes left to right ascending. A large number of photos, books and other artwork print the image of the lighthouse in reverse with the stripes going the opposite direction.
Abandoned from 1935 to 1950 due to beach erosion, vandals damaged the Fresnel Lens. The light was located back in the tower in 1950 but because of the damage to the lens it now uses an aircraft style beacon. The light flashes every 7.5 seconds and is visible for about 20 miles although I have seen it from the top of the old Bonner Bridge at Oregon Inlet, about 40 miles away.
Museum exhibits are in the keepers quarters and restrooms and a book store are nearby. You can climb the 268 steps from ground level to the lantern deck from late April to mid-October. Reservations are required during busy periods and a small fee is charged.
Moving the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Continued beach erosion in the 1960’s to 1980’s led to many studies about how to best preserve the lighthouse. In 1999 after years of study and debate the lighthouse was relocated to it’s current location – about 2900 feet from where it originally stood. The keepers quarters and other structures from the light station were also relocated and the tower is now approximately 1500 feet from the ocean – the distance it was in 1873.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Hidden Tip:
The original reason for construction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse are the Diamond Shoals. The shoals start at the point of Cape Hatteras and extend out to sea for 12 to 14 miles. If you have 4 wheel drive and are familiar driving on soft beach sand you can drive to “the Point”. If not, by parking near Cape Point campground you can walk to the point although it is a good hike and can be very hot in summer in the middle of the day. The Cape Point area of the Outer Banks is also one of the few places where a maritime forest exists on the Outer Banks. Close to the lighthouse is the Buxton Woods nature trail – a break from the beach and a short hike in this different environment.
To find out more about the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse click or touch here.
Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse
The sixth and newest Outer Banks Lighthouse is the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse.
This lighthouse is a replica of the third and last Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse which was near Wanchese at the entrance of Croatan Sound. This lighthouse was constructed to help fishermen and passing sailors find their way into port.
There were three Roanoke Marshes Lighthouses. The first became operational in 1831 but was abandoned eight years later. The second came into service in 1858. Fifteen years later its foundations had been damaged beyond repair. The last Roanoke Island Lighthouse is a screw pile lighthouse. To help make it last longer the cottage with the light on the top sat on top of seven screw piles. These are large cast iron pilings with a threaded head that are screwed into the bottom of a river, bay or sound – securely anchoring the lighthouse to the bottom.
Decommissioned in 1955 the lighthouse was sold. When the new owner tried to move the lighthouse to inland property it was lost.
Lighthouse Statistics
This replica of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse opened in 2004 with a fourth order Fresnel Lens mounted in the light on the top. The lighthouse is open daily and has exhibits about Manteo and Roanoke Island’s maritime history. This lighthouse is not climbable but the boardwalk leading to the lighthouse is a nice stroll and provides great views of the Manteo waterfront and photo opportunities.
Parking, restaurants, shops and restrooms are all available in downtown Manteo and a visit to the lighthouse is a must do on a visit to Manteo.
Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse Hidden Tip:
Just across the harbor from the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is the Roanoke Island Festival Park. The park includes a museum with exhibits about the Outer Banks and Roanoke Island as well as a museum shop, restrooms and the Elizabeh II – a replica of one of the ships the first colonists used to come to Roanoke Island in the 1580’s. An amphitheater hosts concerts in the summer. The park is also a location for weddings and other events. A boardwalk surrounds the park and provides a pleasant stroll along the marsh. A fee is charged for the museum and outdoor exhibits but the grounds are free.
To find out more about the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse click or touch here.
The Outer Banks Lighthouses
Lighthouses have been critically important to the Outer Banks for more than 200 years. Today they have in many cases been replaced by GPS, radar, LORAN and other forms of navigation. They are still important to ships at sea and especially to boaters in the Sounds.
If your travels take you to the Outer Banks visiting one or more of these lighthouses and the surrounding area makes for great sightseeing. The lighthouses make great photo backdrops and the stories associated with them provide history and drama. Whichever one (or all six) you pick – happy sightseeing!
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