Chris and I had just one North Carolina lighthouse that we have not been able to visit and this past beach vacation we were able to tick that off our list. We took the ferry from Harkers Island to Cape Lookout National Seashore and enjoyed a few hours of seeing all that we could see. We were pretty much on our own on the trip over and the trip back which was kind of nice with only another couple and the ferry crew so it was a pretty perfect trip.

Going to the National Seashore was a great way to be on a pretty undeveloped island. The policy is to take everything you need for your visit and be prepared to pack it all out. For the most part people did that but I did see a half eaten container of rotisserie chicken under a pier that I debated taking back with us. In non-Covid times I probably would have been more inclined had I had a garbage bag.

On the short ride over the captain made sure to take us fairly close to Shackleford Banks. The Shackleford Banks are famed as an island home to the Cape Lookout National Seashore’s “Banker Ponies” – feral horses whose ancestors are believed to be shipwrecked Spanish Mustangs from the late 1500s. We were able to see a few and even though I only had my phone I managed to capture a few pictures.

After disembarking from the ferry we walked on the boardwalk that led to the lighthouse and the keeper’s quarters. There were some displays and signs along the way as well as a gift shop. Of course – there is always a gift shop, right?

The lighthouse was not open for climbing as there were some structural issues discovered earlier this year but as you can see there was no shortage of vantage points for pictures.

To read more about the history of the lighthouse click here to go directly to the page with all the information you might be interested in.

After we took a million pictures of the lighthouse we walked to the beach and sat for quite awhile just watching the surf and a pod of dolphins who were frolicking. It was so relaxing and we didn’t see another person the entire time.

This was definitely a great trip and we timed it perfectly as rain moved in later on. I have now officially seen all of the North Carolina lighthouses.

Have you been to Cape Outlook ? It really is a great little adventure. Leave me a comment and Comment for a Cause for Hospice of the Valley.