How to Reach the Cape Lookout National Seashore Although they look tame, these horses are completely wild, and should never be approached by humans. Tours and sightseeing cruises are available for visitors who want to see these creatures up close, although explorers who encounter the horses while on a beach trip or hike are cautioned to keep their distance. Smaller but more bulky than traditional horses, these feral animals can be spotted throughout the National Seashore, often from the vantage points of vessels cruising through the sound waters. These horses are thought to be the descendants of Spanish mustangs who were shipwrecked along the coastline in the 1500s, and who apparently washed ashore and thrived throughout the centuries. The Banker Ponies are found throughout the South Core Banks and the Shackleford Banks, and are herds of wild horses that freely roam the shoreline. Its beacon, which extends for 12-19 miles, can also be visible from veritably any soundfront home along Harkers Island or even Cedar Island.
The lighthouse is seasonally open to climbers in the summer months for a small fee, and visitors who brave the 207 steps to the top will be treated to incredible panoramic views that extend from the open ocean to neighboring Harkers Island. tall into the sky, and was constructed in the late 1850s to protect and guide mariners through the deadly Graveyard of the Atlantic waters just offshore. The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is located in the heart of the South Core Banks, and is one of the most distinctive of the Outer Banks lighthouses, due to its diamond black and white pattern, and hard to reach locale. It can be explored via an ATV tour, on foot, or via a 4WD vehicle, and is a unique step back in time to an eerily long gone era. Today, the former village is a perfectly preserved ghost town, with a local Methodist church, general store, and other residences still intact and open to visitors. By the 1960s, the property was acquired by the National Park Service, and the last two residents on Portsmouth Island – two elderly women – finally left the community in the 1970s. The opening of new inlets and the gradual closing / shallowing of the inlet near Portsmouth led to the village’s decline, and the Post Office closed in 1959, further cementing its downfall. Established in 1753, this now deserted community was one a thriving local port with a population that hovered around 1,000 by the 1860s. Portsmouth Village, which is found on the southern end of Portsmouth Island, is famed as a historic village and a former popular port town along the North Carolina Coastline. Historic Sites in the Cape Lookout National SeashoreĬape Lookout National Seashore is distinctive for a trio of natural features and / or historic sites. As a result, it’s a refreshing landscape for visitors who want to enjoy a natural Outer Banks setting.
While rustic campgrounds and visitors’ centers are found within the National Seashore, there are no commercial facilities, homes, shops, or any development whatsoever. The Cape Lookout National Seashore starts on the southern end of Ocracoke Inlet, or the northern tip of Historic Portsmouth Island, and extends all the way to the southern / western edge of the Shackleford Banks, which are found right across the sound from Downtown Beaufort. A 2011 hurricane has added a couple more inlets, breaking apart the original three barrier islands slightly, but virtually all areas of the shoreline are accessible by a passenger or vehicle ferry, or a personal watercraft. The National Seashore stretches for 56 miles and is a skinny collection of completely undeveloped barrier islands, known as the North Core Banks, the South Core Banks, and the Shackleford Banks. The Cape Lookout National Seashore was established in 1966 and was designated as a North Carolina Natural Heritage Area just 20 years later. Following the outskirts of Beaufort, Morehead City and Cedar Island, and offering miles of undeveloped shoreline to go around, this uninhabited destination is a fine spot for adventurous shell hunters, fishermen, hikers, birdwatchers, and lighthouse fans to explore the Crystal Coast’s wild side. Crystal Coast visitors who want a pristine beach environment won’t have to venture very far, thanks to the outlying Cape Lookout National Seashore.
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