Cape Lookout National Seashore

Things To Do Near Cape Lookout National Seashore

The list of activities available to visitors at the Cape Lookout National Seashore differs depending on the island on which travelers find themselves. One small island — Portsmouth Island — is famous for Portsmouth Village, a deserted community that was once one of the most active ports on the North Carolina coast and is now a perfectly preserved ghost town. ATVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles may drive the beaches of North Core and South Core Banks but nowhere else. Beachcombing is a favorite activity for visitors on every island who are eager to watch the waves and birds while seeking shells washed up on the shore. Vehicles are not allowed on Shackleton Island as the island preserves a herd of rare Shackleton Horses, but hikers love that island over all others for its lonely and elegant shores, high sea oats, and deep forests.

Hiking Trails

• Cape Lookout Trail

  Near the famous Cape Lookout Lighthouse on South Core Bank, the Cape Lookout Trail is a loop that navigates along both sides of the small peninsula that juts southward into the Atlantic. The trail runs along the beaches where seagulls and other waterfowl build their nests. Here, Atlantic waves pound the rocks on the Atlantic side of the peninsula and gently lap onto the sandy beach of the landward side.

  Location

  South Core Bank

  Length

  4.2 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

• Willow Pond Trail

  Photographers love to hike the Willow Pond Trail because of its diverse habitat and attraction for elegant migratory birds. The trail is a loop that circles Willow Pond, where an alga topped swampy area draws wildlife. There is a blind where hikers stand unnoticed, leading to great photos of birds hunting in their natural habitat.

  Location

  Harkers Island

  Length

  0.33 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

Sightseeing

• Cape Lookout Lighthouse

  The most iconic lighthouse in the country, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, is painted in a distinct black and white diamond pattern, and it's the only lighthouse in the nation allowed to use this design. Visitors climb to the top via a 207-step narrow stairway to see the Atlantic and the North Carolina coastline from 210 feet in the air.

  Location

  South Core Bank

• Fort Macon State Park

  Fort Macon State Park holds a perfectly preserved antebellum-era fort. Visitors hike around the exterior defense, then through the interior to see the cannon, stone works, and ammunition magazines of a fortress designed to repel invasion from the sea.

  Location

  2303 East Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512

Museums

• Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center

  At the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center, visitors learn about the various migratory birds that use the Outer Banks as nesting areas to lay and hatch eggs and protect their young. The center features a three-story tower with a spectacular view of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and the various inlets surrounding the islands.

  Location

  1785 Island Road, Harkers Island, NC 28531

• North Carolina Maritime Museum

  The North Carolina Maritime Museum displays exhibits that inform visitors of the maritime industry's historical significance in North Carolina. The museum holds events that take you to the days of settlement, piracy, the Civil War, the offshore sinking of ships by German submarines in WWII, and into the present.

  Location

  315 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516

Nearby Shops and Restaurants

• Dee Gee's Gifts and Books

  Dee Gee's Gifts and Books features unique gifts commemorating the area. Visit to pick up a "breathing salt-air" towel or a sailor's knot rope bracelet.

  Location

  508 Evans Street, Morehead City, NC 28557

• Jacksonville Mall

  The nearest shopping mall to the Cape Lookout National Seashore is 64 miles south in Jacksonville, NC. The Jacksonville Mall features 56 shops, including national brands such as PINK and Hollister.

  Location

  375 Jacksonville, Mall, Jacksonville, NC 28546

• City Kitchen

  The City Kitchen delivers an excellent eclectic American menu that includes unusual twists such as Korean pork belly tacos or shrimp and grits southern style. 

  Location

  114A Town Group Drive, Unit A, Beaufort, NC 28516

• The Fish Hook Grill

  One of the premier seafood restaurants along the North Carolina seaboard, the Fish Hook Grill features the area's unique twist on seafood preparation. Try their Hatteras style clam chowder or fried flounder to get a palate-pleasing meal.

  Location

  980 Island Road, Harkers Island, NC 28531

How To Get To Cape Lookout National Seashore

For visitors coming from the large urban areas of the South, the best route to get to Davis is through Jacksonville, NC. When leaving Jacksonville, get onto United States Highway 17 (US-17) and travel north for two miles. Take the slight turn to the right to get onto North Carolina Highway 24 (NC-24). Stay on NC-24 for 38.3 miles and then turn right onto United States Highway 70 (US-70) and travel 45 miles into Davis, NC.

Visitors to the Cape Lookout National Seashore must bear in mind that the only way to reach these islands is via a ferry or a private craft out of Davis, NC. Access to this seashore is available year-round, though the ferries and personal craft do not travel the Sound during hurricanes or other intense weather events. Some attractions are only available during a given season; for instance, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse is open from May 13 to September 13 of any year.

Address

131 Charles Street, Harkers Island NC 28531

Fee: Entry fee $0

Though you cannot access this seashore in an RV, you can travel there in an RV and camp in one of the many RV parks that lie along this section of the North Carolina coast. Taking the trip as a family and then accessing the park via ferry is an adventure that those taking the trip will remember for a lifetime. Remember, the comfort you enjoy in your RV will always be there after you return from a long hike on one of the islands that make up the Cape Lookout National Seashore.