When I’m not teaching yoga or writing, I’m running my Airbnbs in Outer Banks, North Carolina. These “OBX Best” posts are my personal travel guides to help anyone visiting OBX to have a wonderful visit.
Historic Lighthouses of the Outer Banks Shine On
Spend a week in the Outer Banks and you will notice the waters change from one moment to the next. Depending on the day, you may find gentle waves and a calm current, glassy barrels begging for surfers, or even an eruption of wind and choppy waters, resulting in red flag“no swimming” warnings. Just peering into the ocean from the shore, it’s easy to see why the Outer Banks is considered the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
Off shore, there are two forces that make the ocean hazardous for seafarers. The arctic Labrador current collides with the tropical Gulf Stream current, which can be blamed for a long history of shipwrecks along the coast. Built in the 1800’s lighthouses of the Outer Banks were designed to help ships navigate rough seas safely to harbor. Before that, captains had to rely on hand-drawn maps and descriptions of the coastline.
While, GPS navigation has largely outdated lighthouses, they still remain a magnificent symbol of the coast’s treacherous history and offer a wonderful option for sightseeing and photos on the Outer Banks. Their beautiful architecture and distinct exterior patterns and colors add to the beauty of the natural shores. And for the lighthearted, lighthouses are a symbolic reminder that there is direction and guidance for times when we find ourselves lost in the stormy seas of life.
There are four lighthouses located along the coast of the Outer Banks, all of which still shine their beacons today (listed from north to south).
A short trip while visiting the Northern Outer Banks
The Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Corolla, NC
Approximately one million red bricks make up the impressive tower of Currituck Lighthouse, with a beacon that can be viewed from up to 18 nautical miles. Admission for climbing the spiraling 220 steps is $10. Bring your binoculars and scan the panoramic view for wild horses. You can also check out the museum quality exhibits for more information about the history of the lighthouse, the Fresnel lens, the lighthouse keepers and shipwrecks.
Bodie Island Lighthouse, Nags Head, NC
Recently restored in 2013, Bodie Island Lighthouse is located at the northern end of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The lighthouse is open for climbs from the third Friday in April to Columbus Day. The tower is painted white with two black horizontal stripes, making it unmistakable for a seafarer’s point of reference. It’s rumored Bodie Island was named for the large number of bodies that washed ashore from shipwrecks!
A bit farther down!
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
One of the most recognizable lighthouses in the country, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, is North Carolina’s tallest at 193 feet. Its black and white candy-cane-like stripes and history for protecting passing ships from the deadly Diamond Shoals make it the most popular lighthouse with visitors. In an engineering feat in 1999, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was moved 2,900 ft. inland to a safer location from beach erosion, making it the tallest brick structure in history ever to be moved. The 248 steps spiral steps, about 12 stories, can be climbed between the third Friday in April to Columbus Day.
Ocracoke Lighthouse
At 75 feet tall, the southernmost lighthouse in the Outer Banks is Ocracoke Lighthouse. The tower has a white exterior of mortar spread over brick. Built in 1823, it’s one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the country. The lighthouse is not open for climbing, but visitors are welcome to visit the site.