National Park Week, April 21-29, 2018, is an annual national celebration of people, parks, trails, heritage areas, national trails and rivers, seashores, historic sites, beautiful landscapes, and so many more remarkable places. National Park Week is a special time to find your own connections to the vast network of national parks, which protect and preserve our natural and cultural history.
Safety and Rules:
Please do your part to have a safe, enjoyable experience and follow these safety rules while visiting either lighthouse.
Each climber must be at least 42" (107 cm) tall and capable of climbing all steps on his or her own.
Children 11 years of age or younger must be accompanied by an adult who is 16 years of age or older.
No person may be lifted or carried.
Running, jumping, or stomping on stairs and landings is prohibited.
Do not eat, drink (except water), smoke or chew tobacco.
No pets allowed.
Shoes required; no bare feet or heels over 1-½" (3.8 cm) high.
Leave umbrellas, backpacks, tripods, coolers, beach bags, surfboards, fishing poles, and the like in your car.
Throwing of any object off the lighthouse is unsafe and may get you in big trouble! Either lighthouse may close at any time if weather conditions are unsafe.
Bodie Island Lighthouse climbers need to be aware of these additional safety rules.
Each climber must weight less than 260 lbs. (118 kg).
Only one person at a time is allowed on each flight of stairs—no climbing in pairs or groups.
What to Expect:
Both climbs are strenuous!
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has 257 steps from the ground to the balcony level, equal to climbing a 12-story building. The narrow stairs have a handrail only on one side, two-way traffic, and a landing every 31 steps.
The Bodie Island Lighthouse has just over 200 steps from the ground to the top, equal to climbing a 10-story building. The narrow stairs have a handrail only on one side and 9 landings.
There is no air conditioning and no elevator in either lighthouse. It may be noisy, humid, hot and dim inside the lighthouses. Visitors with heart, respiratory or other medical conditions, or who have trouble climbing stairs, should use their own discretion as to whether to climb the lighthouses.
Climbers can bring water in a non-glass, sealable container.
