Travel Lens
Lighthouse views, wild ponies, seashell beaches and fishing charters on a laid-back Outer Banks island.
White sand, sweeping ocean views and incredible sunsets, plus windsurfing, parasailing and boating, are why most visitors come.
Photograph North Carolina’s oldest still-operating lighthouse, its white stucco walls rising above the island’s treeline.
Honor the British sailors who died in World War II at this small, quiet cemetery on the outskirts of Ocracoke village.
On the village waterfront, artifacts and media show how fishing has shaped Ocracoke’s seafaring culture, past and present.
An easy 0.75-mile loop on soft ground leads to some of the island’s highest points, with marsh grasses and evergreen maritime forest.
Island captains take beginners and enthusiasts out into the Atlantic to try for big game species such as tuna.
Wild horses have been documented on the island since the 1730s, and the pony pen is an easy place to watch them graze.
Look for conches, whelks and periwinkles along the shore, and with patience, rarer shells in quiet coves at low tide.
Swipe up for all 21 things to do in Ocracoke Island in our full guide.