Southeast Excursions: Try sand, solitude and a seaside beacon

Cape Lookout National Seashore gives visitors an opportunity to experience a part of the N.C. coast virtually free of commercial development. From wading in the surf and combing for shells, to spotting wild ponies and touring the famed lighthouse, a day at the beach here is markedly different from one spent anywhere else along the Carolina shores.

Distance

Cape Lookout National Seashore is about 380 miles east of Charlotte. Anticipate an eight-hour drive.

To see and do

The Cape Lookout National Seashore encompasses the North Core Banks and South Core Banks – a stretch of about 45 miles, running north-south – and Shackleford Banks, a narrow slip of land about a half-mile wide that stretches about 9 miles east to west, from Beaufort Inlet to Cape Lookout. At the northern end of North Core Banks is the now-deserted, once-active fishing village of Portsmouth, where some 20 buildings are all that remain.

At the southern end of South Core Banks, accessible by ferry from Harkers Island, is the Cape Lookout lighthouse. Between the ferry landing on Core Banks and the lighthouse is a protected shoreline – a wonderful place to spread out a blanket and catch some rays, splash in the ocean, or go searching for shells. Even at the height of the summer tourist season, the beach is much less crowded than most other places; in off-season, you will often find yourself mostly alone.

With its distinctive, diamond-shaped paint scheme, Cape Lookout lighthouse is, after Hatteras, probably the most recognizable beacon on the N.C. coast. It was built between 1857 and 1859, rises 163 feet above the sea and has helped mariners successfully navigate the treacherous waters off the barrier islands for more than 150 years. Until recently, the lighthouse was managed by the U.S. Coast Guard and was closed to the public. In 2003, however, the National Park Service assumed responsibility for the beacon and soon opened the tower to visitors on selected days each year. The program has proven to be very popular. Reservations are required and fill up almost immediately, so if you’re interested in climbing the lighthouse, check the park’s website well in advance of any planned trip.

Separated from the Cape Lookout by a narrow body of water, Shackleford Banks is home to the famous “banker” ponies, a herd of more than 100 wild mustangs. Legend has it that they are descended from horses washed ashore after the wrecks of 18th-century Spanish galleons.

Though wild, the horses are nevertheless well documented. They are numbered, named and co-managed by the National Park Service and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses. The horses receive regular medical checkups and are vaccinated periodically. The size of the herd is carefully regulated so the population does not exceed what the island can support. As long as you maintain a safe distance and do not appear threatening, the horses usually don’t shy away when people approach. Good photos can be gotten with a telephoto lens. It’s easy to spend a morning or an afternoon traipsing among the grassy dunes in search of the ponies, though they’re often quickly and easily spotted at the western tip, near the lighthouse.

This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 11:33 AM with the headline "Southeast Excursions: Try sand, solitude and a seaside beacon."