Destination: Cape Lookout
Jewel of the Crystal Coast
Cape Lookout National Seashore consists of 56 miles of undeveloped beach that extends over four barrier islands from Ocracoke Inlet in the north to Beaufort Inlet in the south. These islands, which are reachable only by boat, are Portsmouth, North Core Banks, South Core Banks and Shackelford.
On the southern tip of South Core Banks is Cape Lookout Lighthouse, designated with its distinctive diamond pattern. The present lighthouse was built one hundred and fifty years ago and replaced an earlier and smaller lighthouse to warn ships of the nearby shoals. Cape Lookout Lighthouse is the second tallest of its kind on the east coast of the US. At the turn of the century there was a thriving whaling village nearby called Diamond City, which had over 500 people living and working in this area. It was wiped out by a hurricane around 1903 and was never re-built.
The Cape Lookout visitors center details how the lightkeepers families lived and worked in relative isolation. It also has many exhibits about the local fauna and abundant aquatic life.
Here's some of that abundant aquatic life: a humpback whale spotted just off Cape Lookout during one of our odysseys..
Shackelford Island is home to a herd of about 100 wild horses that probably originated from ancestors who swam to shore hundreds of years ago after a ship carrying them wrecked offshore on the shoals. They can often be seen grazing on the sea oats that grow on the dunes or enjoying the shade of an ancient forest in the middle of the island. When anchored at Cape Lookout, Shackelford Island is easy to reach by dinghy.
Loggerhead turtles are most commonly seen. Whales and harbor seals have occasionally visited. This harbor seal came begging one morning while we werre at anchor. Bagels were a no-go but some canned sardines did the trick.
A short path from the lighthouse leads to a pristine beach on the ocean side of the cape..
A walkway leads from a dock to the deserted Coast Guard station. Liberty ships once refueled at Cape Lookout before trying to run the gauntlet of wolf pack submarines during World War II.
The abandoned coast guard station used to station troops to fuel the ships and man the guns overlooking the approach to Lookout. Gun mounts can still be found on the tops of some of the sand dunes. Whale bones decorate the front of the station grounds.
All four outer bank islands have lovely, natural seashore with a wealth of seashells. Activities include swimming, fishing, shelling, boating, primitive camping, hiking, birding, horse watching (on Shackelford only), and waterfowl hunting (in season). The lighthouse is only open a few days a year, but the Park Service does have a small, but informative museum in the light-keeper’s house just steps from the lighthouse. There are also primitive cabins for rent on three of the four islands.
