This is the second part of a 3-part travel review series of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Part II: Lighthouses of the Outer Banks

This past weekend a few of the guys from the Sports Chief and myself visited the Outer Banks of the great state of North Carolina. Our plan was pretty simple: we really didn’t have one. Other than knowing where we were going to stay, everything else was pretty much left to what we wanted to do in the moment. We began our trip in Nags Head and completed it in Ocracoke (right down Hwy 12). On this stretch of the Outer Banks we visited three of the seven North Carolina lighthouses, so that’s what this part of the series will be dedicated to.

The first lighthouse we came to was Bodie Island Lighthouse in Nags Head. Though it looks easy to pronounce, it’s actually pronounced “Body” Island Lighthouse. It was just a few miles away from our campground at Oregon Inlet, so it was the first of many things we did that day. It was fairly crowded, even at around 10 in the morning, and actually would’ve been about a 40 minute wait to take the tour to the top. We thought about climbing it for a minute, but decided against it mainly because we thought $10 was a little on the pricey side just to climb it, and we figured we would save that money to climb Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (which we definitely wanted to climb).

Bodie Island Lighthouse; The Sports Chief Photography

Behind the lighthouse was a boardwalk that stretched out to the marshes just behind Highway 12 and the Atlantic Ocean. At the end of the 4-5 minute walk was a sheltered place to sit/stand and enjoy the view. It was a great 360 degree view. Looking out towards the highway was the marshes, which were picturesque, and behind us was the lighthouse. It was easily the best spot to take pictures of Bodie Island Lighthouse…it’s far enough away to really get a great view while also being able to capture the marsh grasses and boardwalk all in the same photo.

Later on the trip, after driving a little ways down Hwy 12 we came to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This one doesn’t really need much of an introduction as it is one of the more popular lighthouses in America and one of the symbols of North Carolina. It’s the tallest lighthouse in the country and is often referred to as “America’s Lighthouse.” For these reasons we definitely knew we wanted to climb the stairs to the top. I was prepared to pay decently to climb, but it turned out it was cheaper than it was to climb Bodie at just $8.

Groups of around 15-20 (my estimation) are allowed to go up together, and new groups go up about every 20 minutes. Our group gathered at the base of the lighthouse at 1:00 p.m., listened to the park ranger give us some information and history on the lighthouse, and we were on our way. The ranger warned about how hot it can get inside, since it’s enclosed and doesn’t have air condition, but we really didn’t think it was too bad on our 80 degree day. Every 40-50 steps (my estimation again) were small windows that provided some natural air and 5’x5’ spaces where you could rest out of the way of the other climbers. With 258 steps you will need at least one rest on the way up, unless you are in great shape.

Once you reach the top, the view is amazing. There is a platform that goes all the way around the lighthouse so you can take in the views from every angle. It was really cool to see the beach from that high up, and it was fascinating to see the changing directions of the beach/land. We stayed up there for about 10 minutes soaking it all in and taking pictures/videos before we made our trek back down. Going back down was a LOT easier than going up.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse; The Sports Chief Photography

We also went into the lighthouse keeper’s old house, which was turned into a museum. We really enjoyed seeing all the old artifacts in there that had turned up on the Hatteras beaches, were found in the waters just off the beaches, or just helped tell the story of Cape Hatteras. If there is one lighthouse you must visit in North Carolina, maybe even the entire country, it’s Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

We left Hatteras and hopped on the ferry that took us to Ocracoke Island. I love everything about Ocracoke Island because it just has such a historical feel to it. The lighthouse is no exception. Built in 1823, it is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina and top 5 oldest in the country. There’s not as much to say about our experience at Ocracoke Lighthouse since you cannot climb the stairs (it’s too old) and there is no museum, store, or anything to go into. There’s a short pathway that takes you right up to the lighthouse, where the door is locked.

Ocracoke Lighthouse; The Sports Chief Photography

Even though there’s not really anything to do at Ocracoke Lighthouse besides take pictures, I think it’s pretty cool because you can just feel the history of it by being in its presence. If you think back to all the things the lighthouse has witnessed over the years (since 1823) it’s really tremendous that it’s still standing and operating. Ocracoke Lighthouse is the perfect lighthouse for Ocracoke Island which is very old and historic, small, and carries a very laid back nature.

I wanted to rank each of these three lighthouses, but decided against it because they’re all just so different. They each feature different, cool things to do and see that it’s impossible for me to rank them. So if you take a trip to the Outer Banks, make sure to stop by all three because you will not be disappointed with any of them.

Garett

Travel Review: Lighthouses of the Outer Banks