Ocracoke Island
Ocracoke Island is a 16-mile-long island located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina south of Hatteras Island. The remote island is accessible only by state-run ferry, private boat, or plane. Listed as one of the “Best Beaches” Ocracoke Island is mostly undeveloped with side clean private beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. The island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks. The sand is clean, the beaches are wide and less populated than most so one can have the beach almost to yourself at the Outer Banks. To get to Ocracoke Island just take a quick ride on the ferry from Hatteras. A day trip or a week-long vacation on the isolated island is a fun way to enjoy the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks used to be an isolated island where the rich went to fish and hunt. It was great for fishing and duck hunting. Probably most famous the island was the hangout for the notorious pirate Blackbeard. After raiding and plundering ships up and down the Atlantic coastline Lt. Robert Maynard was sent by the governor of Virginia to stop Blackbeard’s dirty deeds. Maynard and his men knowing the pirate and crew liked to hide out in this area engaged in a battle with Blackbeard and his men one morning in November 1718. Both groups fought a tough battle and in the end, Blackbeard was mortally wounded, after multiple stab wounds and gunshot wounds, Blackbeard was killed, then beheaded. The area Teach’s Hole on Ocracoke Island is so named because the area was a favorite hideout of Blackbeard.
During World War II several ships were sunk off the coast of North Carolina by German submarines. One morning four British soldiers washed ashore and the people of Ocracoke Island buried them on the island. The graves are still maintained by the Coast Guard today in honor of these soldiers. The British Cemetery is located at 220 British Cemetery Road in Ocracoke on Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks.
Ocracoke Lighthouse
Ocracoke Lighthouse of the Outer Banks was built in 1823 and its location marks the entrance to Silver Lake. The white lighthouse stands 70 feet tall and is located on Lighthouse Road. It sits in a picturesque setting with a white picket fence and the cozy-looking keeper’s cottage next door. The grounds are open to the public but the interior is not open for climbing.
Ocracoke Wild Ponies
Descendants of the Wild Banker ponies that once ran free on Ocracoke Island of the Outer Banks are corralled in the Ocracoke Pony Pens on the north end of the island next to Highway 12. No one knows for sure how the original ponies came to be on the island. They once ran freely on the island but with progress and the paving of Highway 12 back in the late 1950’s, the islanders and the National Park Service built a site made specifically for the ponies to protect and keep them safe. There is no charge to stop and view the ponies but remember they are wild as in not tame. You may not be wise to touch or pet them or feed them human food.
Ocracoke Island is a unique and remote island where the natives speak an interesting Old English dialect that has been passed down thru the generations. It is unique to the area and fascinating to listen to when you come across a true islander!
Ocracoke Island at the Outer Banks of North Carolina is a fun place to vacation due to the beautiful clean white beaches, the quaintness of Ocracoke Village, the one and only retail shops, crafts, and the great local food including fresh seafood available. It’s a small island and at the peak of the summer season, the island can become quite busy with car traffic, foot traffic, and bike traffic. But it is well worth a visit. The ferry ride over to Ocracoke Island is a fun way to add to the adventure while at the Outer Banks of North Carolina.