Lighthouses In The Outer Banks, NC

"Hey Google, how many lighthouses are there in the Outer Banks, North Carolina?"

Google will search the web and most likely come back with 5 lighthouses in the Outer Banks, namely, Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and Ocracoke Lighthouse.

There are actually 6 lighthouses in the Outer Banks.  The 6th lighthouse is the Cape Lookout Lighthouse in Cape Lookout National Seashore.  Cape Lookout is part of the Outer Banks.

Trivia.  The Outer Banks (with popular car sticker OBX) are a string of barrier islands that are separated from the North Carolina mainland, starting from the border of Virginia, entering Carova in North Carolina stretching 120 miles south to Ocracoke Island, extending further south to Portsmouth Island and Cape Lookout.

I visited the Outer Banks in December, primarily to explore the Oregon Inlet Campground and the Ocracoke Campground to add to my camping adventures, and secondarily, to check out and see what to do in the Outer Banks in December, an off-season in this summer travel destination.  I stopped at the Outer Banks Visitors Center in Kitty Hawk and the friendly staff gave me a map and the idea to visit the lighthouses.  

The Outer Banks Lighthouses

These lighthouses are open to public and can be visited any time of the year.  The grounds are open year-round and free.  Some lighthouses offer climbing, seasonally, for a fee.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

Currituck Beach Lighthouse - Corolla, NC
1875

 

Currituck Beach Lighthouse is located in Corolla, the northernmost town in the Outer Banks, standing at 162 ft tall.  It is a brick lighthouse and left unpainted, thus, the raw and orange to reddish look. It was first lit in 1875, and is still active.  It is now privately owned and operated by the Outer Banks Conservationists.  

Climbing is open to public, seasonally, with 220 steps to the top.

Visit the Outer Banks Conservationists - Currituck Beach Lighthouse for pricing, hours of operations, and additional information.

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse - Roanoke, NC
1877 (3rd), 2004 (replica of the 3rd)

 

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is located in the historic town of Manteo in Roanoke. It is the smallest of the lighthouses in the Outer Banks, standing only at 37 ft.  The current lighthouse, built in 2004, is a replica of the 3rd lighthouse, built in 1877.  The first two lighthouses were lost or abandoned because of environmental conditions.  The 3rd was decommissioned in 1955 and sold to a private owner and was lost to the sound when an attempt was made to move it to private property. 

Visit the Town of Manteo website for more information and other things to do in the area before you visit the place.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Bodie Island Lighthouse - Nags Head, NC
1847 (original), 1858 (2nd), 1872 (3rd, current)

 

Bodie Island Lighthouse (pronounced "body") is the 3rd lighthouse that has stood in the vicinity of Bodie Island on the Outer Banks.  The 1st one was built in 1847, but was abandoned due to a poor foundation.  The 2nd one, built in 1859, was destroyed in 1861 by Confederate troops.  The 3rd lighthouse was completed in 1872, and is still active.  It is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, managed by the National Park Service.

The current lighthouse is 156 ft tall, with a distinctive pattern of horizontal, alternating black and white stripes.   

Climbing is open to public, seasonally, with 214 steps to the top.

Visit NPS - Bodie Island Light Station for more information (history and tickets to climb the top) before you visit the place.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - Buxton, NC
1870

 

"Hey Google, what is the tallest lighthouse in America?"

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, standing at 198 ft tall, is the tallest lighthouse in the United States, and the 2nd tallest brick lighthouse in the world.  It is located in the  town of Buxton, NC.  It is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, managed by the National Park Service.

It has the distinct honor of protecting one of the most hazardous sections of the Atlantic Coast, with its light visible up to 20 miles.

The lighthouse has a distinctive pattern of candy cane (or barber pole), black and white stripes.

In 1999, the lighthouse was moved from the original location to where it is now because of the threat of shoreline erosion.

There are 257 steps from the base of the lighthouse to the tower's balcony level - equivalent to climbing the stairs of a 12-story building.

The lighthouse is closed for climbing for the whole 2023 due to ongoing restoration efforts.  The lighthouse grounds remain open 24/7.  Visit NPS - Cape Hatteras Light Station for up-to-date information.  

The website also has a long and impressive history of the lighthouse worth reading for more information.

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Ocracoke Lighthouse - Ocracoke, NC
1823

 

"Hey Google, what is the oldest still active lighthouse in North Carolina?"

Ocracoke Lighthouse, located in the small island of Ocracoke at the southern end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, is the oldest still active lighthouse in North Carolina.  and one of the oldest active in the United States, behind Boston Light and Sandy Hook Light, most notably).  

It is smaller compared to its neighboring lighthouses, standing at 75 ft tall.   It has 86 steps, but not open for climbing.  The grounds are open to public.  

The lighthouse is still active, and managed by the National Park Service.  

Visit NPS - Ocracoke Light Station for more on the history of this lighthouse.

Ocracoke Island a very small island, accessible only by ferry (vehicle included) managed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).  And if you are coming from the Hatteras Island, it is free to go to Ocracoke and back.

Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Cape Lookout Lighthouse is the 6th lighthouse in the Outer Banks.  It is located in the southernmost island of the Outer Banks, in the Cape Lookout National Seashore.  This is another island accessible only by ferry (passenger-only).

I didn't get a chance to visit the island on my visit to the Outer Banks because of lack of planning.  I promised myself to come back and visit the place to see and complete my lighthouses in the Outer Banks (and if possible, beach camping included).  I will update this post with details and picture when that happens.