Visitor Centers

Click on the Ranger Station icon to learn more about each facility.

 

Harkers Island Visitor Center

 

Open Summer Hours (April - October) Open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm

Winter Hours: Open Monday - Saturday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Location Eastern end of Harkers Island. On Island Road which is off of US Hwy 70, between Cedar Island and Beaufort, NC. GPS help: use 1800 Island Road, Harkers Island, NC 28531 to bring you to our main parking lot

Programs and Amenities Exhibits on Portsmouth Village, island ecology, and Shackleford Banks horses; interactive map of the park; Kids' Corner with sounds of the seashore game, magnetic discovery board, and a touch table; the park film; informational materials; seasonal programs; free Junior Ranger and Junior Ranger Adventures booklets; special event programs; book store; park passport stamp and lighthouse society stamp; and parking and other Special Use Permits.

Available Facilities Restrooms, first aid, ferry ticket booth, picnic area, and a kayak launch site.

Please Note The Harkers Island Visitor Center is also home to the Park Administrative Offices and serves as the Park Headquarters. Administrative Offices are open Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. (Closed all federal holidays.)

 

Beaufort Visitor Information Center

 

CLOSED due to Covid-19 restrictions until further notice

Open Summer Hours (mid-March - end of November) Open daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day.

Winter hours (mid-December - mid-March) Closed for the season.

Location First floor of the Beaufort Town Hall at 701 Front St, Beaufort, NC.

Programs and Amenities Exhibits on island ecology and history; map of the park; informational materials; free Junior Ranger and Junior Ranger Adventures booklets; and park passport stamp.

Available Facilities Restrooms, first aid, beach wheelchair rental (free) and nearby on the waterfront boardwalk is the ferry ticket booth. Winter hours: restrooms available Monday - Friday during Town Hall business hours. Beach wheelchair rental (free) available through the ferry ticket booth.

 

Light Station Visitor Center

 

CLOSED due to Covid-19 restrictions until further notice

Open Seasonal, daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Location On the boardwalk in the lighthouse area connected to the ferry dock. South Core Banks.

Programs and Amenities Shells of the Seashore exhibit; informational materials; seasonal programs; free Junior Ranger and Junior Ranger Adventures booklets; beach wheelchair (free rental); a bookstore; and a park passport stamp and lighthouse society passport stamp.

Available Facilities Restrooms, shade shelter, first aid, and a beach wheelchair.

 

Great Island Cabin Office

 

Open Seasonal, daily from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Location Second building on the right from the ferry dock. Great Island Cabin Camp on South Core Banks.

Programs and Amenities Information on park history, nature, and recreation; park passport stamp; free Junior Ranger and Junior Ranger Adventures booklets; beach wheelchair (free rental); long-term parking permits; Saltwater Fishing Tournament Weigh Station; and fishing license purchase/renewal.

Available Facilities First aid.

 

Long Point Cabin Office

 

CLOSED due to damage by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019. Facilities will remain closed until further notice.

 

Portsmouth Visitor Center

Theodore and Annie Salter House

 

Open Seasonal, Monday - Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm

Location The first house on the right of the path from Haulover Dock. Portsmouth Village on North Core Banks.

Programs and Amenities Exhibits on lightering, shipping, the fishing industry, and maritime village culture; informational materials; seasonal tours of the village; free Junior Ranger booklets; and park passport stamp.

Available Facilities Restrooms and first aid.