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Cape Lookout National Seashore
Docks & Anchorages
boats anchored near the lighthouse beach
A busy anchorage on a summer's day
 

Docks

Docks at the following locations may be used for loading and unloading passengers and gear.

  • just north of the lighthouse in Bardens Inlet
  • westside of Shackleford Banks, near Beaufort Inlet
  • Haulover dock on the westside of Portsmouth
  • Wallace Channel dock on the northeast side of Portsmouth

Boats may not moor (tie up) to these docks for longer than it takes to load/unload.  For long stays, boats must anchor away from the dock and out of the way of other boats.  

 

Anchorages

There are a number of areas that provide easy access to the soundside beaches or a place to stay overnight on your boat.  Where you drop your anchor will depend on the draft (depth) of your boat. 

  • Sailboats and deep draft vessels - in Cape Lookout Bight behind the spit - deep water runs close to the spit in this area. 
  • Houseboats and shallow draft vessels - in Cape Lookout Bight behind the spit and along Shackleford Banks from Whale Creek to Wades Shore.

Vessels may anchor for a total of 14 days in water within the boundaries of Cape Lookout National Seashore.

Cape Lookout lighthouse daymark pattern  

Did You Know?
Diamond City, a community that once stood on the eastern end of Shackleford Banks, was named after the daymark pattern on the nearby Cape Lookout Lighthouse. Cape Lookout National Seashore

Last Updated: July 09, 2006 at 15:33 EST