CAPE LOOKOUT NATIONAL SEASHORE

NORTH CAROLINA

Stretching from Ocracoke Inlet to Beaufort Inlet on the North Carolina coast, Cape Lookout National Seashore is the southern-most section of the famed Outer Banks. The Cape, which gives the seashore its name, has been identified on charts dating back to the earliest explorations of the New World. Spanish, English, Dutch, and French explorers, traders, settlers and pirates all knew and feared the Cape and its attendant shoals. The history of the Cape Lookout region reflects its ties to the sea and its importance in the early sea-borne economy of the nation.

Today Cape Lookout is better known for its outstanding recreational opportunities. Surf fishing, sea kayaking and backcountry camping draw visitors from across the country. For the less adventurous, beachcombing and shelling are favorite pastimes.

The 56 miles of undeveloped beach also provide nesting sites for a wide variety of shorebirds including the endangered piping plovers. Loggerhead sea turtles find the dark deserted beaches ideal for nesting as well.

DID YOU KNOW

• Cape Lookout National Seashore was authorized in 1966 but was not fully established until 1976 when the state of North Carolina officially transferred the property to the National Park Service.
• The seashore contains 56 miles of undeveloped beaches on four barrier islands. The number of islands within the seashore varies with how many inlets are open or closed following storms.
• The islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore are located between two and three miles off the mainland shore.
• The only part of the park reachable by road is the Visitor Center on Harkers Island. A boat trip - either on your personal boat or one of the commercially operated ferries - is necessary to reach any other part of the seashore.
• Cape Lookout National Seashore is one of the few places on the East Coast where you can experience the magnificence of a dark night sky. The stars appear to shine brighter and seem a little closer when the only artificial light source of any consequence is the periodic sweep of the lighthouse beam.
• The daymark (painted exterior) on the Cape Lookout lighthouse is unique to this light tower - no other lighthouse in the nation has this particular pattern.
• There are no hard surface roads on the islands. Any vehicle ferried to the barrier islands must be able to handle the deep sand of the open beach. "Beach driving" at Cape Lookout National Seashore is to be taken literally.

DON'T MISS ATTRACTIONS

• Beginning Memorial Day weekend and continuing through Labor Day, a variety of ranger-led programs are offered daily. These programs include talks on lighthouse history, surf fishing demonstrations, horse-watching hikes and guided walks through historic Portsmouth village. Surf fishing and horse watching are by reservation - see the park website or contact the Harkers Island Visitor Center for more information and dates for these programs.
• On Shackleford Banks graze a herd of Banker Horses. These small horses freely roam the nine-mile island as their ancestors have done for centuries. The stuff of legends, their very existence sparks the imagination with stories of storms and shipwrecks.
• Just south of Ocracoke Inlet is the Portsmouth Village Historic District. Walking the sandy lanes through Portsmouth transports you back in time to an Outer Banks village of the 1930's. Here it is easy to understand what it was like to live by the rhythms of the tides, weather and seasons.
• Four times a year, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse holds an Open House event on a Saturday. During these events the lighthouse is open by reservation for a limited number of visitors to climb. See the park website or contact the Harkers Island Visitor Center for more information and the dates for these special events.
• The Lighthouse Keepers' Quarters next to the lighthouse is open to the public from April through November. Inside are a small museum on the history of the Lighthouse and the U.S. Life Saving Service.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PRIORITIES

On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel roared ashore and inflicted 12 million dollars worth of damage to the historic structures and public facilities of the park. While the park managed to stabilize and reopen many facilities and visitor areas within a short period following the hurricane, some recovery projects are still continuing.

Other projects are underway at Cape Lookout National Seashore including a Cultural Landscape Plan for Cape Lookout Village Historic District, the public planning process for personal watercraft (PWC) usage within the park's boundaries and public meetings to determine the future of expired use-and-occupancy leases for the historic structures within Cape Lookout Village Historic district. Other cultural projects include the emergency stabilization of several historic structures and the restoration of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.

Barden's Inlet was opened by a hurricane many years ago. Since its opening, this inlet has, through natural geologic processes, eroded the island near the Cape Lookout lighthouse. It has now eroded dangerously close to the historic buildings of the Cape Lookout Light Station. During Hurricane Isabel, one of the outbuildings was lost due to its proximity to the inlet. To buy time for the remaining historic structures, including the lighthouse, a project is underway with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to replenish the sand along the section of beach by the inlet.

Cape Lookout National Seashore is also working on a Long Range Interpretive Plan. This plan, upon completion, will provide an overall framework for the park's efforts to improve and expand upon visitor services including ranger-led programs, exhibits and facilities.

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LINKS:

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