The Outer Banks of North Carolina

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The Outer Banks is a 200-mile (320-km) long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, on the east coast of the United States. They cover approximately half the northern North Carolina coastline. The Outer Banks is a series of islands: from north to south: Bodie Island, Roanoke Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island. The northern part of the Outer Banks, from Oregon Inlet northward, is usually considered part of the North American mainland, although it is technically separated by the Intercoastal Waterway, which passes through the Great Dismal Swamp occupying much of the mainland west of the Outer Banks. Road access to the northern Outer Banks ends in Corolla, North Carolina, with communities such as Carova Beach accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles. North Carolina State Highway 12 links most of the popular Outer Banks communities. The easternmost point is Cape Point at Cape Hatteras on Hatteras Island, site of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The Outer Banks is not anchored to offshore coral reefs like some other barrier islands and as a consequence often suffers significant beach erosion during major storms. In fact, its location jutting out into the Atlantic makes it the most hurricane-prone area north of Florida, for both landfalling storms and brushing storms offshore. Hatteras Island was cut in half on September 18, 2003, when Hurricane Isabel washed a 3,000 foot (900 m) wide and 30 foot (9 m) deep channel called Isabel Inlet through the community of Hatteras Village on the southern end of the island. The tear was subsequently repaired and restored by sand dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers.The Outer Banks is home to attractions such as The Cape Hatteras National Seashore, The Wright Brothers Memorial, famous lighthouses, wild horses, hundreds of ship wrecks, and numerous other attractions. The treacherous seas off the Outer Banks and the large number of shipwrecks that have occurred there have given these seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is located in Hatteras Village near the United States Coast Guard facility and Hatteras ferry. In the 1800's, being known for the hard to navigate waters, the U.S Coast Guard constructed a series of lighthouses to help aid mariners navigate the waters around the Outer Banks. The lighthouses, from North to South, are Currituck Beach Light, Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Cape Lookout. The first four are all drivable through the use of North Carolina 12 and the NC 12 Ferry System but Cape Lookout will require the use of private boating companies to access. The lighthouses are all maintained by the NPS with the exception of Currituck Beach which is operated by a private group. Currituck and Hatteras are the only claimable structures. The others, due to structural deficiency, are closed to climbers. In addition to the lighthouses, we also visited the North Carolina Aquarium on Manteo Island. We stayed at the Lighthouse View Motel in Buxton. The operators are first rate and the rooms we stayed in had views of the ocean and the sound. Some of our favorite activities included swimming in the ocean, shelling, crabbing after dark, kite flying, and visiting the numerous attractions.

Sunrise on the beach.

View from our room. Kelly can't escape the kitchen even on vacation.

Every morning the NPS drives the beach on ATV'S Connor makes his own tracks.

searching for turtle nests. Turtles come ashore at

night, lay eggs, then retract to the ocean.

Turtle nest. Connor running to me to drop off a shell he found while swimming.

Kaitlyn caught a crab! Ghost crab on the beach. (flash photo) We would

go crabbing every night with flashlights.

I would run every morning on the beach. The first two photos are at Cape Point. As a point of reference, that spec in the center of the first picture is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. My run to Cape Point began from our hotel around a half mile in the other direction from the lighthouse. It was a long, hard run down the shoreline. It was hot and I ran out of water by the time I got to the point. The second is a self portrait at Cape Point. The third is just a pic Kelly took of me one morning as I was starting out. Running on the beach is tough!

AHHHH, go fly a Kite! We purchased these kites from Kitty Hawk Kites and flew them on the Pamlico Sound.

This is the North Carolina Aquarium on Manteo. The second shot is the kids in front of a display. At the aquarium you can see.............

seahorses, alligators,

turtles, sharks,

an octopus, fish,

more fish, stingrays,

more stingrays, and a whole bunch of other marine wildlife.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Cape Lookout Lighthouse


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The Outer Banks of North Carolina The Outer Banks is a 200-mile (320-km) long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, on the east coast of the United States. They cover approximately half the northern North Carolina coastline. The Outer Banks is a series of islands: from north to south: Bodie Island, Roanoke Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island. The northern part of the Outer Banks, from Oregon Inlet northward, is usually considered part of the North American mainland, although it is technically separated by the Intercoastal Waterway, which passes through the Great Dismal Swamp occupying much of the mainland west of the Outer Banks. Road access to the northern Outer Banks ends in Corolla, North Carolina, with communities such as Carova Beach accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles. North Carolina State Highway 12 links most of the popular Outer Banks communities. The easternmost point is Cape Point at Cape Hatteras on Hatteras Island, site of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The Outer Banks is not anchored to offshore coral reefs like some other barrier islands and as a consequence often suffers significant beach erosion during major storms. In fact, its location jutting out into the Atlantic makes it the most hurricane-prone area north of Florida, for both landfalling storms and brushing storms offshore. Hatteras Island was cut in half on September 18, 2003, when Hurricane Isabel washed a 3,000 foot (900 m) wide and 30 foot (9 m) deep channel called Isabel Inlet through the community of Hatteras Village on the southern end of the island. The tear was subsequently repaired and restored by sand dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers.The Outer Banks is home to attractions such as The Cape Hatteras National Seashore, The Wright Brothers Memorial, famous lighthouses, wild horses, hundreds of ship wrecks, and numerous other attractions. The treacherous seas off the Outer Banks and the large number of shipwrecks that have occurred there have given these seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is located in Hatteras Village near the United States Coast Guard facility and Hatteras ferry. In the 1800's, being known for the hard to navigate waters, the U.S Coast Guard constructed a series of lighthouses to help aid mariners navigate the waters around the Outer Banks. The lighthouses, from North to South, are Currituck Beach Light, Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Cape Lookout. The first four are all drivable through the use of North Carolina 12 and the NC 12 Ferry System but Cape Lookout will require the use of private boating companies to access. The lighthouses are all maintained by the NPS with the exception of Currituck Beach which is operated by a private group. Currituck and Hatteras are the only claimable structures. The others, due to structural deficiency, are closed to climbers. In addition to the lighthouses, we also visited the North Carolina Aquarium on Manteo Island. We stayed at the Lighthouse View Motel in Buxton. The operators are first rate and the rooms we stayed in had views of the ocean and the sound. Some of our favorite activities included swimming in the ocean, shelling, crabbing after dark, kite flying, and visiting the numerous attractions. Sunrise on the beach. View from our room. Kelly can't escape the kitchen even on vacation. Every morning the NPS drives the beach on ATV'S Connor makes his own tracks. searching for turtle nests. Turtles come ashore at night, lay eggs, then retract to the ocean. Turtle nest. Connor running to me to drop off a shell he found while swimming. Kaitlyn caught a crab! Ghost crab on the beach. (flash photo) We would go crabbing every night with flashlights. I would run every morning on the beach. The first two photos are at Cape Point. As a point of reference, that spec in the center of the first picture is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. My run to Cape Point began from our hotel around a half mile in the other direction from the lighthouse. It was a long, hard run down the shoreline. It was hot and I ran out of water by the time I got to the point. The second is a self portrait at Cape Point. The third is just a pic Kelly took of me one morning as I was starting out. Running on the beach is tough! AHHHH, go fly a Kite! We purchased these kites from Kitty Hawk Kites and flew them on the Pamlico Sound. This is the North Carolina Aquarium on Manteo. The second shot is the kids in front of a display. At the aquarium you can see............. seahorses, alligators, turtles, sharks, an octopus, fish, more fish, stingrays, more stingrays, and a whole bunch of other marine wildlife. Currituck Beach Lighthouse Bodie Island Lighthouse Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Ocracoke Lighthouse Cape Lookout Lighthouse