Cape Lookout National Seashore Overview

Cape Lookout National Seashore

Contact Details
Cape Lookout National Seashore
131 Charles Street
Harkers Island, NC 28531
Phone: 252-728-2250

Cape Lookout National Seashore is a 56-mile stretch of North Carolina's Outer Banks that includes North Core Banks, South Core Banks, and Shackleford Banks. The seashore protects one of the few remaining natural coastal barrier island systems in the world. Its native grasslands comprise the only remaining natural grasslands in the eastern United States. Shackleford Banks shelters a herd of wild horses that roam the vast white sand beaches.

These remote and barren islands offer abundant outdoor adventure opportunities. From the quiet waters of the sound to the wild surf of the open Atlantic, these islands are a major score for sea kayakers, surfers, and ocean swimmers. Pick up some gnarly winds at Shell Point off Harkers Island, a popular windsurfing destination.

The Cape Lookout Lighthouse, completed in 1859, overlooks the treacherous 14-mile Lookout Shoals, which early sailors called the "Horrible Headlands." The lighthouse's distinct diamond pattern was painted in 1873 as a means for sailors to distinguish it from several other identical lighthouses in the area.

Sea Kayak the Outer Banks
A sleek sea kayak is the way to explore the three undeveloped barrier islands of Cape Lookout. Paddle your way past dolphins, migrating humpback whales, and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. On the shore, you can see a harem of wild horses led by a stallion. Look up, and great blue herons, brown pelicans, and egrets will soar above you. Adventurous sea kayakers seeking a little whitewater action can ride the Outer Banks surf. Kayak launch sites include East Harkers Island, West Harkers Island, and Beaufort Waterfront.

Watch Shackleford Ponies
On Shackleford Banks, the seashore's southernmost barrier island, you can see a herd of over 100 wild horses as they roam free on a ten-mile sliver of island paradise. The Shackleford pony averages ten to 13 hands (measured from the ground to the horse's withers) and feeds on coarse marsh grass that thrives along the sound. These wild horses are descendants of domestic horses left on the island by the last human inhabitants in the 1890s.

Behold our Endangered Species
Cape Lookout National Seashore serves as sanctuary to many of our threatened and endangered species of wildlife. The seashore is the northernmost habitat for the Loggerhead Turtle, a marine turtle that lays its eggs on the shores of the Outer Banks. It is also the southernmost habitat for the piping plover. Other endangered species that frequent the Cape Lookout National Seashore include the roseate tern, peregrine falcon, and bald eagle.