Cape Lookout National Seashore Outer Banks, NC

The seashore is a 56 mile long section of the Outer Banks of North Carolina running from Ocracoke Inlet on the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast. The three undeveloped barrier islands which make up the seashore - North Core Banks, South Core Banks and Shackleford Banks - may seem barren and isolated but they offer many natural and historical features that can make a visit very rewarding.

The environment of the Cape Lookout National Seashore has deterred man from extensively settling the area, although historically the islands have served as prominent landmarks for mariners and have been busy with maritime activities. In the early 1700's the notorious pirate, Blackbeard, sailed the waters off Cape Lookout. Early European sailors knew both the dangerous shoals off Cape Lookout Point and the safe harbor of Lookout Bight. In later years, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse warned of the hazards, and life-saving operations rescued seamen in trouble. During World War II German U-boats were a threat to ships sailing along the Core Banks.

Fishing has always been the dominant vocation of the Outer Bankers. With increased maritime activity, Portsmouth Village became a transshipment point where cargo was unloaded and reloaded when ships passed through the shallow Ocracoke Inlet. Later, as storms changed the shoals and ships began to use the inlet at Hatteras, the activity at Portsmouth Village gradually decreased until, in the end, all residents left the village to live in other places. Now the village serves as a unique reminder of past cultural and economic life on the Outer Banks.

For more information about Cape Lookout – check out http://www.nps.gov/calo