Shackleford Banks

Visitors watch a Shackleford Banks horse graze from a safe distance.

NPS Photo/S.Godin

Quick Facts

Location:

34.686575, -76.645352

Designation:

National Seashore

Amenities

4 listed

Beach/Water Access, Cellular Signal, Primitive Campsites, Restroom - Seasonal

No lifeguard on duty. 

Cape Lookout National Seashore consists of three-barrier islands, South Core, North Core and Shackelford Banks, along the coast of North Carolina. Shackleford Banks stretches 8 miles across from west to east. The south side of the island faces Core Sound, and the north side faces the Atlantic Ocean.

Shackleford Banks is only accessible by boat. Visitors have the option to utilize a passenger ferry from Harkers Island Visitor Center or from Beaufort, NC. Beach driving is not allowed on the island.  

Many visitors come to Shackleford Banks to go shelling. Visitors are allowed to collect a 5-gallon bucket full of shells per day they are on the island. However, it is recommended that visitors check for live organisms within collected shells. Pinecones are also allowed to be collected from the seashore. Marine mammals bones and archeological artifacts are not allowed to be collected from the seashore. 

Shackleford Banks is the only island within Cape Lookout National Seashore that has wild horses. Approximately, 100 wild horses call this island home. Visitors can appropiate the horses' tenacity and watch their social behaviors. Respectfully stay at least 50 feet away to avoid disturbing the horses or endangering yourself, your children, or your pets.

General information on the horses, horse behaviors, and park management can be found in the Shackleford Horses brochure (pdf, 1.8 MB) . You can also download our answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Our Local Wild Horses (pdf, 404 Kb). Updates on the horses are posted each year, these reports can be found on the Horse News and Updates page.

Shackleford Banks does a few amenities for visitors. Restrooms are available seasonally. All camping is primitive, backcountry camping. 

Visitors must take all their trash out of the park when they leave. Do not bury any trash as the sand is constantly moving and buried trash re-surfaces quickly. For more information on the Trash Free Park program, visit the Leave No Trace page

Pets are allowed on the seashore. However, they must be on a 6 foot leash at all times.