City: Outer Banks, NC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Description: The southernmost of the Outer Banks’ four lighthouses, this whitewashed tower is the oldest and shortest. It is the second-oldest lighthouse in the nation. It stands 77.5 feet tall and has an askew iron-railed tower set on the top. The lighthouse is not open for tours or climbing, but volunteers occasionally staff its broad base, offering historical talks and answering visitors’ questions. Inquire about possible staffing times at the visitor center or National Park Service offices. Ocracoke’s lighthouse still operates, emitting one long flash every few seconds from a half hour before sunset to a half hour after sunrise. It was built in 1823 to replace Shell Castle Rock Lighthouse, which was set offshore closer to the dangerous shoals in Ocracoke Inlet. Shell Castle Light was abandoned in 1798 when the inlet shifted south. The beam from Ocracoke’s beacon rotates 360 degrees and can be seen 14 miles out to sea. The tower itself is brick, covered by hand-spread, textured white mortar. The walls are 5 feet thick at the base.On the right side of the wooden boardwalk leading to the lighthouse, a 2-story white cottage once served as quarters for the tower’s keeper. The National Park Service renovated this structure in the 1980s. It now serves as the home of Ocracoke’s rangers and the structure’s maintenance supervisor. To reach the light, turn left off NC 12 at the Island Inn and go about 800 yards down the two-lane street. You can park near a white picketed turnoff on the right. Visitors must walk the last few yards down the boardwalk to the lighthouse.