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Bodie Island Lighthouse

4.4 (128 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Bodie Island Lighthouse Landmarks & Historical Buildings Photos

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We are ready to climb to the top!
Regina H.

Okay, I loved seeing the Bodie Lighthouse from the ground but my friends wanted to climb all the way to the top. I was like, where's the elevator? Haha! It was a challenging climb for this Netflix binge watcher! It was easy to maneuver and the staff were so helpful and encouraging. The facilities were super clean, well maintained, and great signage with historical facts were plentiful. Very enjoyable. The views from the top of the lighthouse are breathtakingly beautiful. Very Cool that it is still in use too.

It's me!!
Teresa W.

First time coming to lighthouse and both Rachel and Emma made it worth while! Very knowledgeable about the light house. It felt so good knowing that I was stepping back into history. Wasn't able to climb the stairs but that is now a goal of mine!! Didn't have a chance to visit the rest room but plenty of parking and definitely work a visit!

Samantha B.

Free if you don't want to walk to the top. Otherwise, it doesn't cost much. A boardwalk to walk out on. Park rangers were present to educate visitors about the lighthouse and its surroundings.

Sweet.
Laura C.

This lighthouse is beautiful at any time of the year. The visitors center is currently closed due to fire. No visit to the outer banks is complete without a stop here.

Rohini G.

One of my favorite lighthouses in the OBX! I did not climb up but there was plenty to appreciate for free. If you do choose to climb, I believe tickets are released for reservation on the morning you wish to visit. Bodie's visitor center is full of information on the wildlife in the area and some background on the lighthouse. There is also a beautiful short boardwalk which is another great spot to view the lighthouse and overlooks to some gorgeous marsh. The lighthouse itself and the grounds are accessible 24/7, so we came here around sunset as well as the daytime when the visitor's center was open. Park rangers routinely also have additional sessions explaining more about the flora and fauna. I did not join for that program but it was great to know they offer such sessions.

Staircase looking down from top of lighthouse
Amanda R.

We really enjoyed this! Beautiful scenery all around and in the lighthouse. We did get canceled due to lightening twice but they refunded quickly. Great view!

Kim S.

I'm a huge lighthouse lover so this was a great visit for me! The guide at the base of the lighthouse was so informative and she instructed us on the perfect spot to stand to get some cool pics! Don't forget to stop in the gift shop to stamp your lighthouse passport!

Alison M.

Beautiful. I love lighthouses and this is one I've wanted to visit for a while. It's easy to find and free to access at any time of day or night. A lot of photographers come here to have classes and work in their exposure and night skills to capture the beautiful night skies and Milky Way. We weren't able to go inside but we enjoyed walking around at sunset and enjoying the nature trail boardwalk to the viewpoint behind the lighthouse. I highly recommend you do this so you can see different vantage points and a long view of the lighthouse. Very pretty. Sunset is gorgeous here!

Bodie lighthouse nags head
Shailesh J.

A great place at Nag's head to check out a lighthouse. Very serene place. When we visited in November, it was closed to climb on it. # - The place is great for pictures and close by is the office with great courteous and helpful staff telling us in detail about the lighthouse. # - I was especially intrigued by the story behind the origin of the name Bodie (pronounced body) One theory says it was named after the owners and the other more popular one is based on the number of bodies that washed up to the shore here. # - It is open 24/7 except for a few days which I forgot when it is closed. It has a total of 219 steps and you can get the ticket for $10 on this site https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/252034/ticket/10087143 It is towards the south of Nags head but a must-visit for serenity and some great clicks :)

Taylor V.

Can not recommend this lighthouse enough. This an extremely easy lighthouse to access as a quick pit stop. Although the lighthouse isn't open late to climb up I think the best time to visit is at dust. The lighthouse light will already be turning on and you are still able to get good pictures with the light house if you want.

Laura G.

Pretty lighthouse to stop and see. It was not open to go in when we stopped. Too cold to explore so we snapped a couple of photos and left.

Aubrey F.

Always a must see! It's cool to see how tall the lighthouses are in person! The grounds are fun to walk around and explore! Definitely check out!

Phil Y.

We had no intentions of visiting the Outer Banks or the Bodie Island Lighthouse. This is one of 5 lighthouses in the area. Each lighthouse is colored differently so that sailors would know where they were by seeing the lighthouse. Bodie's color is black and white. The National Park Service operates this park and lighthouse. You can climb the lighthouse by making a reservation and paying a fee. A visitor center and gift shop is located in the building by the lighthouse. Park rangers are friendly and tell quite the story about the area and the lighthouse. It is a great place to visit when in the Outer Banks.

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2 years ago

Beautiful landscape! Overall we had a wonderful experience here! Reserve your tickets online to climb the lighthouse! It's worth the climb!

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Ask the Community - Bodie Island Lighthouse

Is it still only open for climbing on Friday?

In May I climbed it on a Wednesday. Friends climbed it two weeks ago during the week. It's a truly beautiful thing to do.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Bodie Island Lighthouse

Bottom Line: Nearing 150 years old this lighthouse located in Nags Head is the best lighthouse on the Outer Banks.

Mentioned in 9 reviews

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Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse - Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Manteo

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

4.5(18 reviews)
8.6 mi

Not as tall as the "ocean" lighthouses on the Outer Banks such as Hatteras and Bodie Island,…read moreRoanoke Marshes protects traffic on the Shallowbag Bay and the Croaton Sound in Manteo. This building was completed in 2004 and is a faithful replica of the original 1877 lighthouse that was decommissioned in 1955 and ultimately lost during an attempted relocation. A number of screw piles (long iron pilings twisted into the soft, marshy bottom to offer stability in shallow waters) support the lighthouse, a square, cottage-style structure. The muddy terrain and shifting shoals of the Croatan Sound were especially well-suited to this design. The building has clapboard siding, a gabled roof, and a small lantern room in the middle of the roof ridge. Its small and welcoming size, which is more akin to a beach house than a soaring beacon, enhances its allure and accessibility. The lighthouse's interior is filled with marine antiques and informative displays that honor the area's nautical past. The building itself, which provides a tactile sense of coastal life and lighthouse keeping, is open for investigation, even if the spiral staircase leading to the lantern room is normally locked to the public. The beacon continues its tradition of directing vessels through the sound by using a contemporary LED system, having previously been driven by a fourth-order Fresnel lens. There is lots of street parking in this part of Manteo and lots to explore nearby. [Review 810 of 2025 - 4242 in North Carolina - 24370 overall]

This is a cute little light house right in Downtown Manteo. It's walkable from all the shops and…read moreyou can walk inside for a free mini education on the history of the lighthouse. The long deck walk was sturdy and can accommodate those less mobile and I believe, strollers. Grab a few photos prior to walking out to see it and enjoy! This is one of the reasons I love the Outer Banks! Nothing beats that breeze on your face and the sound of the water!

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Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse - Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Manteo

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Manteo

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse - Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse - Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Manteo

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Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Manteo

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

3.8(38 reviews)
11.6 mi

A bit confused on the check ins and labels--we wanted to see the spot of "The Lost Colony" of…read moreRoanoke so I checked in at both "The Lost Colony" and "Fort Raleigh" as there is signage at both. It appears most people who review "The Lost Colony" are reviewing the play that is enacted every summer on-site here in the outdoor ampitheatre on site. So I'll keep my review here, as I did not see the play. Nor, unfortunatley, did I get to take the walking tour of Fort Raleigh/the Lost Colony. We arrived after the last one had started. We looked at the website multiple times and could only find "stop by the front desk" when we looked for tour times. Not sure if this is always the case or a delay related to COVID. Anyway, if you want a guided tour--come early, as the last ends at 1 or 2 pm. Fort Raleigh-- you get the historic spot of the Lost Colony, a short video about said lost colony in the viewing room, a few small museums, several walking trails (most shaded and ancient looking in a good way), some ocean front sitting straight out of last century, markers celebrating "First Light of Freedom" and other cool historic occurrences, and much more. And the gift shop. Well worth a stop for history loving travelers in the area.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site was a great stop for our family. The visitor center has…read morewell-done exhibits about the Lost Colony and the Freedmen's Colony, and the kids especially loved the Junior Ranger program which made the history fun and interactive. The walking trails are peaceful and easy, and the historic earthworks are neat to see. The park rangers were excellent; friendly, knowledgeable, and great with kids. It's a mix of history and nature that's well worth visiting.

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Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site - Elizabethan Garden

Elizabethan Garden

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

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Roanoke Island Festival Park - Replica of the Elizabeth II

Roanoke Island Festival Park

4.2(45 reviews)
8.6 mi

This is probably best taken in by people with children, especially those who aren't extremely…read moreinterested in museums. Aside from the ship, the outdoor sections are a little sparse but they do have live reenactors who are happy to explain a lot about what they do have, and that's really cool. The ship also has a couple people on board who are happy to explain both the historical and modern questions the kids have (like do you actually sail this boat... etc). The museum isn't extensive but it's enough to cover multiple topics and allows children to touch everything which is nice. It's short enough to not lose the attention of kids but does have some things that engage them. The town nearby is also super cute so all in all it's worth venturing out to Festival Park if you have some time on your hands.

I'm not normally a fan of museums but this was a great experience for us…read more First they offer military discount. Second the kids have a scavenger hunt to win a prize in the end. Every stop along the way you are assigned tasks to get a stamp. Majority of the "actors" were amazing with this! There was one girl next to the black smith that refused to give my daughter the stamp because she didn't want to put the armor on, but the young man who showed us the black smithing called her over and gave her the stamp anyways. I believe that was the only off putting experience from the whole thing. Made my daughter not want to continue. I wish I had gotten her name to put an actual complaint in, not all kids will want to wear the armor for various reasons. We listened and watched each demonstration and I think that's enough. The prizes were actually nice, they weren't just some sticker it was either a bookmark or a magnet. Both good quality. I learned a lot, our favorite part was the blacksmith, he explained so much to us and even gave my daughter the nail he made. Both actors on the ship were nice, the young man under the ship really stayed in character and answered all questions as if he was one of the actual crew. Super cool experience.

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Roanoke Island Festival Park
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Roanoke Island Festival Park - Lighthouse Services

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Lighthouse Services

Mother Vine - 300 yr old Scuppernong grape vine cultivated for over 300 years!!! Very sweet of the neighbourhood to allow us all to visit!

Mother Vine

5.0(2 reviews)
9.5 mi

BLUF: To the casual observer the Mother Vine may just resemble misplaced and untamed vegetation…read moregrowing haphazardly in the front yard of a private home; however, this legendary plant is significant, historic and mysterious. Seemingly, the Mother Vine is a scuppernong grapevine that grows on an elevated trellis in the front yard of a private home. Simplistically the vine is often referred to as the oldest cultivated grapevine in the country and that is why it is deemed to be significant, historic and treasured. The origins of the grapevine are highly nuanced and a bit mysterious so the exact history eludes me. Most reports are that this particular vine is over 400 years old but I did read one story that said testing revealed this actual vine is about 300+ years old. Whether it was the Croatan Native Americans or English settlers that first cultivated the vine is also up for debate. Whatever the case, this vine is old and it's great that it still survives. Something else that is really neat about this vine is that it is cared for mostly by neighbors in the residential community in which it resides. As noted above, the vine is located in the front yard of a private home. I read an article from a few years ago that said the plan was to transfer the property to the Outer Banks Conservationists but I am not clear if that is the title for the property or the care for the property. Property records indicate the property is still privately owned and I didn't see where the Other Banks Conservationists website made mention of the property or vine so I'm not sure if a transfer was made or if that is still in the works. In any event we were sure to be extra courteous as we tip toed around the front yard to ooh and ahh at the vine. We visited mid-morning on a Saturday and aside from being deeply appreciative that this site was open, we were also grateful for there being a few parking spots and a sign welcoming visitors. In addition to the vine, we also took the short path down to the Roanoke Sound shoreline. I appreciate all the efforts of the family on whose property this vine resides, the neighbors and other individuals and organizations to protect this vine and to make it open to the public. Thank you!

Visiting the Mother Vine is such a special experience, especially if you're someone who loves and…read moreappreciates wine. Mother Vine is located on a private property on Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks. The owners of the property and caretakers of the vine have gone above and beyond to create a beautiful experience for anyone who wants to visit. After driving through a beautiful, quiet little neighborhood, you arrive at the property. There are plenty of signs on the property indicating that this is the place to visit Mother Vine. There's also a little parking area that the property owners created specifically for visitors. One lovely little detail that I wasn't expecting was a sign pointing to a path that leads out to the waterfront. That's actually how I began my visit. I parked, and then walked out to the waterfront with my cup of morning coffee and took in a quiet, breathtaking Outer Banks sunrise. That alone was truly an experience I will never forget. After spending a little time by the waterfront, I went over to visit Mother Vine, which is located in the front yard of the property. The vine will be a different experience depending on what time of year you're visiting. I went in the winter months and got to see it when it's brown and all of the remaining grapes were dried and browning. There was beauty in that for me. You could also choose to visit in the warm weather months, when the vine is lush and green. On the day that I visited, I was the only one there, and the morning was so easy and lovely. I'm so grateful to the kind homeowners who opened up this gem to the public. If you find yourself in the Outer Banks, this is a wonderful and free experience. Just please remember to be respectful of both the historic vine and the family who resides on the property if and when you stop by.

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Mother Vine - Almost 400 years old !!!

Almost 400 years old !!!

Mother Vine - The Mother Vine's twisted gnarled trunk is visible under scaffolding built to support the 400+ year old vine

The Mother Vine's twisted gnarled trunk is visible under scaffolding built to support the 400+ year old vine

Mother Vine

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The Downeast Rover

The Downeast Rover

4.9(47 reviews)
8.6 mi

Bottom: A fun and relaxing two-hour cruise on a 55-foot sailboat for which you can bring your own…read morefestive drinks and snacks. Having vacationed in Nags Head for the past 40+ plus I feel like I've done it all so when my husband mentioned taking a sunset cruise on Downeast Rover I was curious. I also vaguely recalled that I had seen this excursion featured in Our State magazine earlier in the summer. With the forecast looking favorable we signed up for a Friday evening sail in mid-August. We booked about 10 days in advance and at that time there were only a handful of spots left on the sailboat so next time I'll be mindful to book earlier. Downeast Rover does daytime trips as well but I suspect the sunset cruise is the most popular. I was worried that sailing on a sailboat with 20+ people would feel cramped and chaotic but it didn't at all. The group in the stern was very chill and the group in the bow was tastefully having a good time with their cooler of Trulis. My husband and I sat mid-ship and just quietly relaxed and took in all of the sights. We probably seemed disenchanted but we were just soaking it all in. About those Trulis . . . Downeast Rover welcomes passengers to bring food and drinks. Most groups brought something festive to drink and perhaps a snack. The nature of the sunset cruise is that it squarely goes through the dinner hour. I think we had to be on the Manteo waterfront at 5:30pm and we didn't return until after 8pm. We didn't take much in the way of drinks or snacks onboard with us because we hoped to get a nice dinner afterwards but by the time we got back to the slip most restaurants we wanted to try were closed. Sooo, in hindsight, maybe we should have taken some sandwiches from Poor Richard's to enjoy on the sail. And as a side note, we encountered an epic sunset so we lingered out on the sound a bit longer than planned which is why we didn't return until after 8pm. Also, the departure time for the cruise changes a bit to accommodate the sunset time. Chris was our Captain and he diligently steered us into the sunset. Mate Ethan kept us all entertained. Ethan shared a lot of interesting history and stories about the Outer Banks. Having spent a good bit of time studying the history of the barrier islands I thought I knew a lot but Ethan's knowledge really impressed me and was shared in an entertaining way. He also sang us a sea chanty or two which was fun. Which reminds me, be sure to bring cash to thank the crew for a safe and fun adventure. Regarding the Downeast Rover, I was expecting it to be a romantic historic wooden sailboat but it is straight out of the 80s! The steel 55 foot topsail schooner has been retrofitted and certified to accommodate 25 passengers. There is a head on board but its probably not very glamourous so I was sure to skip it. We were fortunately to have decent winds so we were able to get under sail after leaving the Manteo waterfront.

What an amazing journey - we didn't realize it was the last sunset tour of the season but Captain…read moreScott and Captain Ken gave us the best night! Peaceful views, education of the area and best of all - new friends both human and aquatic! They found a pod of dolphins that ran with us for nearly ten minutes! What a bonus! We can't wait to return!

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The Downeast Rover
The Downeast Rover - Best seat in the house

Best seat in the house

The Downeast Rover - Sunset!

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Sunset!

Bodie Island Lighthouse - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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