• Cape Lookout Lighthouse from Barden Inlet

    Cape Lookout

    National Seashore North Carolina

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Horses of Shackleford Banks

Shackleford Banks, the southern-most barrier island in Cape Lookout National Seashore, is home to more than 110 wild horses. This is one of the few places in the eastern United States where wild horses can still be seen. Shackleford Banks is approximately nine miles long and averages less than a mile wide. It contains many habitats, unique to barrier islands, which support the horses.

 
Harem on beach
Cape Lookout National Seashore
 

General information on the herd, behaviors, and park management can be found in the Shackleford Horses brochure (147KB, pdf).

Articles on the herd, including tips for horse watching, have been published in current and past editions of the park newspaper. These articles can also be downloaded from the links below:

Information on the management of the herd can be found in the General Management Plan on the Current Documents page.

 
Horse Grazing - thumb

View more pictures of the Shackleford herd in the Horses Photo Gallery.

Did You Know?

Humpback whale in front of Cape Lookout lighthouse

Diamond City was a shore-based whaling community located where Barden Inlet now separates the islands of Shackleford Banks and South Core Banks. Crews would row whaling dories out from shore to chase the whales as they migrated past the island. Cape Lookout National Seashore