Ocracoke Island

I am always looking for new adventures. So when making winter plans I included Cape Hatteras NS and Ocracoke Island as part of our travels. Part of this adventure requires taking a 1 hour ferry ride from Hatteras to Ocracoke Island for our 2 night stay in the Orcacoke Campground where there are no hookups.

Waiting for the ferry

Identical ferry like the one we are on

Our site at Ocracoke Campground 

Very few people in the campground

The Orcacoke Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina. In 1798 a 54 foot wooden tower was built on Ocracoke Inlet Point. With constant shifting of the inlet the lighthouse became obsolete. It was replaced by a light vessel in 1820 but it to became obsolete in 1822 due to the shifting channel. The present whitewashed tower was completed in 1823 and stands 75 feet tall. The beam is still operational and can be seen 14 miles out to sea.

Ocracoke Lighthouse

The Ocracoke Keepers' Quarters was built in 1823 and expanded in 1929. For over 200 years the building has faced mother natures violent hurricanes and Nor'easters. In 2019 Hurricane Dorian brought record storm surges to Ocracoke Island. The Keepers' Quarters was flooded with 18 inches of water causing severe damage. Over the next 12 months at a cost of $3.6 million the Keepers' Quarters will be raised and repaired along with several other buildings.

The undeveloped, natural shoreline of Ocracoke Island spans 16 miles of beautiful beaches. However, they do not call these waters the graveyard of the Atlantic for no reason. The rough surf and rip tides can be extremely dangerous.

The Ocracoke ponies also called "Banker" horses have been documented on the island since the first Europeans arrived in 1730. Legend has it they were left behind by shipwrecked explorers in the 16th and 17th century.

As tourist began to increase, these free roaming horses were becoming victims of vehicles crashes. So the NPS developed the now Ocracoke Pony Pen to help keep them safe. The historical herd size stand between 9 to 20 horses with the last foal being born in 2018. There are currently no plans of expanding the herd.

After two days of beautiful but very windy weather we left the island the same way we came, on a much larger ferry at the south end of the island. This one cost us $45 and took roughly 2-1/2 hours to cross to the mainland of Cedar Point NC. We had 4-5 foot swells but the ferry ride was very smooth with only a little bit of rocking and rolling. Chalk it up to another wonderful experience.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Visited: 8 - 11 November 2024

Nights: 3

Campground: Oregon Inlet

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is made up of barrier islands covering 30,00 acres extending from South Nags Head to Ocracoke Island some 70 miles (110 km). On January 12, 1953 Cape Hatteras National Seashore was established. Over thousands of years the forces of water, wind, and storms have shaped these barrier islands which include Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island.

Our campsite C-15 with electric & water

Beautiful beach just over the dunes from our site

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was constructed in 1870 on a hill 1,500 feet from the shore. It remains the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States standing at 198.49 feet. This lighthouse stood tall and fast but the island around it moved. Sand is carrier across the island from east to west due to wind and water causing the island to move westward. By the mid 1990's sand migration reduced the width of the beach in front of the lighthouse down to 150 feet. In 1999, after years of studies and debates, the Cape Hatteras Light Station was moved to its present location. The lighthouse started it's move on 17 June 1999 at a cost of $11.8 million dollar. The light station moved 2,900 feet taking 23 days and now lies 1,500 feet from the seashore, its original distance from the sea. A relighting ceremony took place on 13 November 1999 to celebrate the successful relocation.

After 150 years the lighthouse has withstood numerous hurricanes, nor'easters, earthquakes, and millions of visitors. That being said the tall giant is undertaking a $20 million renovation to repair damage, restore historical features, and repaint to former glory. This renovation has started and is scheduled to take 18 months. So if you are wanting to climb this lighthouse...you have to wait.

Located south of Nags Head NC, Bodie Island Lighthouse was completed in 1872 and stands 150 feet high. It was partly built from leftover material of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The first-order Fresnel lens flashes and can be seen 19 miles away. The lighthouse was not open for climbing which is unfortunate but I had the opportunity to climb it many years ago.

While on the Outer Banks we will be visiting the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site which I hope to blog on next.

Assateague Island National Seashore

Visited: 5 - 8 November 2024

Nights Stayed: 3

Assateague Island National Seashore is located along the Atlantic Ocean in Maryland and Virginia. The 37 mile(60 km) long barrier island has over 41,300 acres of land and water within it's boundaries. The island was founded as a National Seashore in September 1965 and is divided into three areas, Assateague Island NS is managed by the National Parks Service, Assateague State Park is managed by Maryland Parks Service, and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is managed by US Fish and Wildlife Service. There is no vehicle access between the Maryland and Virginia districts on the national seashore.

The Maryland side is where we camped for three nights. The park is open year round and  includes a total of 148 campsites all with no hookups. We came prepared with a generator and our camper has a solar panel.

The main goal of coming to the island was to see the wild horses of Assateague Island. These horses are feral animals and are managed as a wildlife population. They have survived the scorching summer heat, brutal wintery storms, horrible mosquitoes, and poor food quality. Where did these horses come from, well there are no known records. Two stories exist, one they are the survivors of a shipwreck off the coast and the second they are the descendants of horses that were brought to Assateague in the late 17th century by mainland owners to avoid laws and taxation on livestock. Which ever one is true they are here to stay.

The horses roam the pine forests, salt marshes, and the beaches of Assateague Island. However, a fence divides the two herds at the Maryland and Virginia state line. The Maryland horses with a population of 80-100 are managed by the National Park Service and are free to roam. While the Virginia herd is owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company with a population of 150 animals. They are corralled in a 14,000 acre pen.

Our campsite

On the Maryland side the horses are free to roam throughout the campground

Travelling around the island one does not have to look very far to see how harsh it can be. The salt marshes, wind, and lack of grasses possess difficult living conditions. However, other wildlife also survive on this island.

I rescued this little guy from being hit by vehicles

Sitka Deer

Visitors Center at Chincoteague - Virginia

The Assateague Lighthouse circa 1867

Corralled horses on Chincoteague

More horses of Assateague Island...I never got tired of watching and photographing them.

A horse traffic jam...it's all about them not us