Just a brief update:…read more If you have been to the lighthouse over the past few years, you know that work has been ongoing at the keepers quarters. What this means in the short term is that three or four parking spaces for the lighthouse on lighthouse road are being taken up by various trucks or construction equipment. This can be mitigated by a short drive down to the Ocracoke Assembly of God Church where they, obviously not during Sunday services, have plenty of parking in two separate areas. (It goes without saying, follow their sign and don't be dick, give them a few bucks in their drop box). The main walkway to the lighthouse is still very much open and you can see what you would have seen prior, the exterior, since climbing here has never been a thing. While the work on the keepers quarters was supposed to have been done by now, but it'll get there when it gets there and the upside is that you'll be able to get inside and see some of it versus it being fully closed to the public.

This was the number one thing I wanted to see on Ocracoke and now that I've seen it, I'm happy! I…read morelove lighthouses, having visited 128 lighthouses across the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland and even a lightboat in Sweden. Do lighthouses in Oklahoma (Lake Hefner), West Virginia (Summersville) and Vermont (Shelburne) count? They do for me! Ocracoka's lighthouse is easy to access with parking lots nearby and it's maybe a one mile walk from the ferry terminal. It was built in 1823 by Massachusetts builder Noah Porter and is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina and the second oldest still standing in the state. It was constructed to guide ships safely through the treacherous Ocracoke Inlet into Pamlico Sound, a vital route for maritime trade and military supply lines. Standing 75 feet tall with a conical brick structure, the lighthouse was automated in 1955, and while visitors can access the base during summer months, the tower itself is not open for climbing. Its enduring presence and simple elegance make it one of the most beloved landmarks on the Outer Banks. [Review 775 of 2025 - 4207 in North Carolina - 24335 overall]

No passport needed for this thrilling trip to a small section of the UK! Recommend the fish and…read morechips.

First some backstory taken from another site:…read more "The stories of how the sailors came to rest on the Outer Banks are intertwined, and begin with the sinking of the San Delfino, which was destroyed by German torpedoes in 1941. After the attack, the body of one of the ship's officers Michael Cairns washed ashore on the beaches of Buxton, and was quietly but respectively buried nearby in Buxton Woods by village locals. A few weeks after the sinking the body of an unknown sailor washed up and was buried next to Cairns. " The below article explains the history of the site in Buxton and the site on Ocracoke better than I can. www.charlotteobserver.com/living/travel/article9080264.html If you go: During the annual ceremony in May the general public is welcome to attend. The rest of the year if you are going to visit (assuming that you're coming from the north) just follow the directions to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse except instead of making the left turn into the parking area continue down Lighthouse Road. Pass Loggerhead Lane and then maybe a fifth of a mile on the right you will see an NPS style brown sign letting you know that you've arrived. There's parking for maybe two or three cars and the graves are set back a few yards on the right under the trees.

The Cora Tree in Frisco, Hatteras Island, is tied to a local legend about a mysterious woman named…read moreCora, believed by villagers to be a witch in the early 1700s. After a series of strange events (a cow she touched stopped producing milk, a boy who mocked her child fell gravely ill, and a shipwrecked man was found with "666" burned into his forehead), she was bound to a live oak tree with her baby, but before she could be burned, lightning struck the tree, and she vanished. The word "CORA" was found burned into the trunk, which still bears the mark today. The tree remains a symbol of Outer Banks folklore and mystery. Read https://islandfreepress.org/hatteras-island-features/the-cora-tree-a-halloween-worthy-local-legend-or-a-link-to-the-lost-colony/ for more detail. I wouldn't go out of your way. It's a residential neighborhood with limited parking. But here it is. I did not see anything supernatural today. [Review 793 of 2025 - 4225 in North Carolina - 24353 overall]

Lighthouse is under a major renovation, but still a must stop when visiting the Cape Hatteras…read moreNational Seashore. Easy plentiful parking and nice modern restrooms. Gift Shop has a little bit if everything and a friendly helpful Staff. Young woman at front desk was super. She even had a list of local cancelation stamps for those of us in the pursuit of unique stamps for your book. Make sure to visit the museum and chat with Ranger Chris Lampley - Super friendly and informative on the area, and had some great pointers for local birding to include a morning bird walk happening the next morning. So much information and an opportunity for Junior Rangers to get thier book to complete for a very cool badge. Definitely worth the drive and visit. We will be back to see how it looks after the restoration.

The lighthouse is currently under an impressive renovation- and even that is impressive! Go see it…read moreon every stage of this immense project and see the powerful historical part of the coast! The museums are also amazing and well managed. Can't wait to go back when it's completed!

This post office in Ocracoke isn't much to look at, but thankfully a renovation is underway! I like…read morethe porch front which makes this post office seem more homey and less like a government building, I hope they keep it! Inside is tidy and they have a greeting card stand. No passport services but the usual business here: stamps, money orders, P.O. Boxes, etc. Their hours are M-F 10:00-1:00 and 3:00-5:00. Saturday is 10:00-1:00. The first Post Office in Ocracoke Island was established in 1840 and it was the first one in OBX! Mail boats were used to transport mail to and from Hatteras, Beaufort, Morehead City and other locations. Soon airmail was employed and carried mail back and forth to Kitty Hawk. Many changes arose and the post office changed locations many times. Ferries were also used to distribute mail. The post office we see today is about 3000 square feet and has about 1200 post office boxes. Residents come and go to pick up their mail. It's also a hub for posting community events and even getting the island's news!

Simply the best post office and staff I've ever visited. Convenient hours and can solve or guide…read moreyou on any shipping from this small remote island.

This marker is next to the parking lot of the Hatteras Ferry Terminal. It has the same text on both…read moresides, reading "Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark, 2 miles s. west, fell to Union troops on Aug. 29, 1861, after two days of heavy naval bombardment." Online, there is more information. In 1861, Hatteras Inlet was a vulnerable point in the Confederate defense of North Carolina, prompting Brigadier General Walter Gwynn to recommend fortifications there. Despite approval from Governor Henry Toole Clark, the forts--Hatteras and Clark--were poorly equipped and manned by undertrained troops with short-range weapons. By late July, both forts were completed and flying Confederate flags, but their sand-and-sod construction and limited firepower left them exposed. On August 28-29, Union forces led by General Benjamin F. Butler launched a successful assault, quickly capturing Fort Clark and bombarding Fort Hatteras until its surrender. This defeat opened the way for Union control of the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, marking a strategic turning point in the coastal campaign. There is room to stop and read the marker. It is number B-38 and it was erected in 1959 by the North Carolina Archives and Highway Departments. [Review 787 of 2025 - 4219 in North Carolina - 24347 overall]

This monument stands in the parking lot opposite the ferry terminal, close to the water. It points…read moreout the history of the Confederate form that stood nearby and lists those who served in the Civil War from here. The etched stone marker reads, "The remnants of Fort Ocracoke are submerged in Ocracoke Inlet, 2 miles to the west - southwest, toward Portsmouth Inlet. The last of possibly four forts on Beacon Island, the mostly earthen Fort Ocracoke was constructed by mainland Confederate volunteers, beginning on May 20, 1861, the day North Carolina seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. "After Union victories on Hatteras Island in August, 1861, the Confederates partly destroyed the fort and abandoned it without a fight. Mainland Union forces completed the destruction in September, 1861. Beacon Island was consumed by the waters of Ocracoke Inlet in the first half of the 20th century. The fort's remains were discovered and identified by members of surface interval diving boats in August 1998, acting on a tip from Ocracoke Charter Boat Captain, Donald Austin." On the rear, "In Memory of Veterans of the Civil War from Ocracoke & Portsmouth Islands" and it lists their names. The marker was erected by the Hyde County Heritage Trail. [Review 779 of 2025 - 4211 in North Carolina - 24339 overall]

This monitor is along North Carolina Highway 12 not too far from the Hatteras Ferry Terminal. It…read morepoints out an important naval battle of the Civil War that took place some distance from here. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "U.S.S. MONITOR. Fought C.S.S. "Virginia" ("Merrimac") in first battle of ironclad ships. Lost Dec. 31, 1862, in gale 17 miles southeast. First marine sanctuary." The USS Monitor, designed by Swedish inventor John Ericsson, was a groundbreaking ironclad warship during the Civil War, notable for its raft-like hull and revolving turret armed with two eleven-inch Dahlgren guns. Ericsson secured 240 patents for its equipment, including forty-five for the turret alone. On March 9, 1862, the Monitor famously faced the CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads in the first battle between ironclad ships. After four hours of combat, the Virginia withdrew, granting the Monitor a tactical victory. The ship's innovative design and its dramatic role in naval history continue to captivate, especially through stories of its modern-day recovery. On December 29, 1862, the USS Monitor left Hampton Roads to be towed to waters off the coast of Wilmington. Shortly after midnight on December 31, the ironclad sank during a storm off the coast of Cape Hatteras. Four officers and twelve crewmen were lost. The ship was found in 1973, bottom up, in about 240 feet of water. There is room here to stop and view the marker. It is number B-50 and it was erected in 1976 by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. [Review 791 of 2025 - 4223 in North Carolina - 24351 overall]