Cape Lookout National Seashore — Hotel in Beaufort

had an absolutely wonderful (short) adventure here -- we were two women travelers with one dog in a 2018 4x4 Tacoma, arrived to the South Core island via the 11am Davis Shore Ferry Service ferry around noon on 6/5/2022 (we called that morning to make the reservation) and departed on the 12pm ferry back to Davis on 6/6

DETAILS:

1. aired down to 25 PSI while aboard the ferry (my tire pressure gauge was off by 5 PSI) -- the recommended 20 PSI would have been better, but I didn't have any trouble or get stuck (but I had recovery tracks and a tow strap just in case)
2. if you need to stock up on alcohol before the ferry ride, remember that NC doesn't allow purchases before 10am on Sunday (found this out the hard way)
3. I screenshot the Permit # from the PDF that you receive when you pay online for the ORV permit and had it available on my phone for when the ranger station issued my sticker (no need for a hard copy)
4. we were told to look for the 'debris line' on the beach to determine the high tide line and therefore to park above that (but below the dunes of course) -- however, due to the storm that was causing high winds, the high tide came up much higher for us during the night and actually reached my front truck tires (I also lost a shovel that I mistakenly left by the campfire in the wet sand)
5. we opted to head north from the ranger station, which we were told by the very nice volunteers (that informed us about the rules once we arrived on the island) that north was less populated compared to south toward the lighthouse
6. experienced 35-40MPH winds blowing SW on 6/5 that died down by morning of 6/6
7. pitched a tent anyway and anchored the corners with our gear (other option was to sleep in the back of my canopied truck)
8. there may be a layer of clear coat gone from my truck due to all the sand whipped up from the wind 🤣 (kidding... sort of)
9. rangers/park service drove by once or twice (ngl, my pup was off leash the rest of the time)
10. there are a few places on the island to air up if you need to
11. there is a bathhouse separated into men/women with flush toilets and awesome water pressure in the showers
12. there are dumpsters available before you get back on the ferry to go back to the mainland
13. plenty of Verizon 4G service, had no trouble texting
14. I forgot to pinpoint our GPS coordinates, but we turned from the 'main beach road' (that straddles the dunes between the beach facing the Atlantic and the inlets facing inland) on to the beach from mile marker 39 and were about 1/2 mile north of that
15. we only had one neighbor (an elderly couple) in a truck camper that was about 1/2 mile north of us
16. our neighbor was parked parallel to the beach, whereas we parked perpendicular as a wind front, which worked very well (we piled our gear on the NE side of the truck, which further improved the barrier)
17. the ferry service that we used will bring you supplies if you forget something (another traveler used this to bring in more alcohol), but I am not sure if they charge for it
18. purchased 2 bundles of firewood (for 1 night) from the ferry service, which was not nearly enough -- I could have burned at least 5, so bring LOTS of firewood for each night!
19. ORV permit is good until 12/31/2022 and I hope to use it here again with another...

I am a writer and photographer for National Park Planner. Cape Lookout National Seashore is comprised of three barrier islands on the northern coast of North Carolina: Shackleford Banks, South Core Banks, and North Core Banks. The park is just south of another National Park, Cape Hatteras National Seashore. In addition to these islands, a small section on the eastern end of Harkers Island is part of the park. Only this section, which is where the main Visitor Center is, can be reached by car. To get to the other islands you will need either a private boat or ferry.

Being more difficult to reach, Cape Lookout receives only a fraction of the visitors that Cape Hatteras gets, so those wanting to take the extra effort to get there will find less crowds and more seclusion. Unlike Hatteras, where modern life is just a short drive away, once you are on the islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore, you are on your own. Only minor conveniences such as ice and water are available, and then only seasonally. You must bring everything you need with you, including food.

For those with a 4-Wheel Drive vehicle, you can take a vehicle ferry to the North and South Core Banks and are thus able to carry all supplies needed for an extended stay at the island. Camping on the beach is free. For those without a 4WD, cabins are available for rent. You can bring your supplies by ferry and the National Park Service will transport you to your cabin.

No vehicles are allowed on Shackleford Banks, but two passenger ferries bring visitors to either end of the island. On the west side you will find beaches, while on the east side vegetation supports a herd of over 100 wild horses. You can camp on Shackleford, but you will have to backpack and carry all supplies with you. The island can also be reached by private boat or by kayak or canoe.

Cape Lookout National Seashore offers excellent fishing opportunities in the fall and spring and is a popular fishing destination. Waterfowl hunting is also allowed. For history buffs, the park is home to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, the Cape Lookout Village Historic District, and the Portsmouth Village Historic District. Each of the villages are now “ghost towns,” though Portsmouth has had many of its buildings restored. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to reach from within the park. The best way to get to Portsmouth is from Cape Hatteras National Seashore where you can take a ferry from Ocracoke Island to the village. The park also has over 50 miles of beaches and has excellent shelling opportunities for those who collect seashells.

For complete information on visiting Cape Lookout and nearly 200 quality photos, visit National Park...

This is a very fun place. It's unique and rustic. Most visitors get there via passenger ferry. We took the combo passenger ferry which drops you of first at Shakleford banks and then picks you up and takes you across the channel to the light house (I recommend) for $30. They recommend purchasing in advance and arriving 30 minutes Pryor to your departure time (you have to check in @ the ferry window). There were other passenger ferry operators close by who advertised a $10 ferry. They didn't look open when we drove by, but we saw them taking what looked like professional photographers to Shakleford banks. There are 118 wild horses on Shakleford banks. We saw 4 and consider ourselves fortunate. The volunteers at the light house said the horses generally avoid people. When we arrived at the light house visitor center, we booked the truck ride (I recommend) for $13. This takes you in the back of a 4x4 thru the old town and then to the end of the island and drops you off. We stayed for a couple of hours and went seashell hinting. We found several conch shells after wading out to the far sandbar. The driver pointed to the sandbar as the place to find the best shells. Afterwards we wandered around the light house and spoke to a volunteer who was staying at the lighthouse keepers residence. He talked about the challenge of upkeep of the lighthouse and other interesting facts about the people who lived and survived there on the island. He was awesome and snapped a photo of my wife and me. We were there during low season and were lucky we didn't need advanced reservations for the truck ride which we thought was the highlight to seeing a decent chunk of the island in a relatively...