I'm planning a road trip to see all the lighthouses in NC. I'm a huge fan of NC history- so this may be a great trip for the summer. Anyone done it? Know anyone who has? Would love some points of interest at each site/town. Here's a list of them, so if you know of any of the places of interest nearby, that'd be awesome. Wonder if I can get tours of each one? I know there's more than these listed below- should I go to the lesser-known ones? I live near Cape Lookout...I've got Harker's Island down. I'm admittedly a total ditdot.


1)Bald Head Light/ Old Baldy/ Bald Head Island/ 1789
2) Bodie Island Light/ Four miles north of Oregon Inlet/ 1872
3) Cape Hatteras Light/North of Cape Point/ 1870
4) Cape Lookout Light/Core Banks/ 1859
5) Currituck Beach Light (Whale head)/Near Corolla/ 1875
6) Hatteras Beacon/Near Buxton/ 1855
7) Oak Island Light/Oak Island/ 1958
8) Ocracoke Light/ Ocracoke Island/ 1823

5/10/2015 11:35:55 AM

Some friends of ours used to be the manager and lighthouse keeper of Currituck. We went with them to the lighthouse a couple months ago. The current keeper let us in to the lens room. That was so awesome. Currituck has its original Fresnel lens. They are extremely protective of it, and since the room is so tight, they pretty much never open it up. I don't like heights but being in the lens room was awesome. I have photos and GoPro footage from inside it.

5/10/2015 12:00:42 PM

Price's Creek Lighthouse can be seen from the ferry to Southport, its a short fun ferry ride so worth adding to your list if only to check it off and enjoy the ferry

5/10/2015 12:01:58 PM

Quote :

"I live near Cape Lookout...I've got Harker's Island down. I'm admittedly a total ditdot."

Well at least you admit it....lol

You'll have to leave from Beaufort though, because the NPS ran off all the local entrepreneurs that started running ferries from Harkers Island to the Cape. Complete bullshit

5/10/2015 12:59:55 PM

I know you can tour (go inside and climb) Currituck, Bodie, and Hatteras.

I would go to the websites (NPS) and reserve a tour in advance because it can get pretty crowded in the summer.

As for Ocracoke, you can visit it and go inside the bottom, but you can't climb it. Also, you have to take a ferry to Ocracoke from Hatteras, which is currently about 45 minutes since they have to take a longer route.

They also have 2.5 hour ferry rides to Ocracoke from Swan Quarter or Cedar Island...(cost $15 I think)

5/10/2015 1:10:00 PM

You should check out some of the old screw-pile lighthouses. They have them in Edenton, Manteo and Plymouth. Also note that Cape Lookout is only accessible by boat. It is quite an adventure getting to that one but it can be climbed as well.

5/10/2015 2:28:50 PM

great insight. Thanks y'all.

What about frying pan? Y'all know anything about that?

5/10/2015 5:38:41 PM

I'd recommend spending at least 1 day and night at Bald Head Island. It's such an awesome place and you really can't take it all in in just a day trip.

5/10/2015 7:10:07 PM

Quote :

"What about frying pan?"

Frying Pan was decommissioned and sold for $85,000. It's now a "bed and breakfast" in the middle of the ocean.

5/10/2015 10:57:23 PM

Frying Pan costs about $500 a person for a 2 night stay on the tower. It would be a fun adventure and I'm sure you can go up where the light was, but its going to be far and away the biggest adventure to get to.

5/11/2015 7:49:32 AM

Quote :

"I'd recommend spending at least 1 day and night at Bald Head Island. It's such an awesome place"

you misspelled boring

5/11/2015 7:57:14 AM