Lighthouses Of The Outer Banks

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String the Outer Banks together on a map and you find a chain of beacons that have guided ships past the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” for nearly two centuries. Four historic North Carolina lighthouses still stand watch along this barrier-island coast, each with its own paint scheme, its own story, and its own way of welcoming visitors. Here is how to find them, when to go, and which ones you can actually climb in 2026.

The Four Historic Lighthouses of the Outer Banks

From the wild northern beaches of Corolla down to the ferry-only village of Ocracoke, the Outer Banks lighthouses span more than 100 miles of shoreline. Two of them (Currituck Beach and Bodie Island) are open for climbing in 2026. One (Cape Hatteras) is closed to climbers for a major restoration but still spectacular from the ground. And one (Ocracoke) has never been open for climbing but rewards anyone who makes the trip. Plan on a full day, or better yet a few days, to see them all.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse (Corolla)

The northernmost of the bunch, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse rises 162 feet over the village of Corolla and is impossible to miss: unlike its painted siblings, it wears its natural red-brick exterior, left unpainted so mariners could tell it apart from other towers along the coast. First lit in 1875, it filled the last dark stretch of North Carolina coastline between Bodie Island and Cape Henry, Virginia. Today you can climb the 220 steps to the gallery for sweeping views of the Currituck Sound, the Atlantic, and the surrounding maritime forest where wild Spanish mustangs still roam the beaches to the north.

The lighthouse is operated by the nonprofit Outer Banks Conservationists, and the grounds, the keeper’s house, and the museum shop are free to explore. Children must be at least 4 years old to climb; little ones ages 0 to 3 may ride up in a carrier at no charge.

  • Address: 1101 Corolla Village Road, Corolla, NC 27927 (Historic Corolla Village)
  • 2026 season: March 21 through November 30, daily, weather permitting
  • Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Climb admission: $13 per person (ages 4 and up); grounds, parking, and museum shop are free
  • Tickets: Paid on-site only by cash, check, or credit card. No advance or online ticketing.
  • Phone: Lighthouse office (252) 453-4939; Museum Shop (252) 453-6778
  • More info: Currituck Beach Lighthouse (Outer Banks Conservationists)

Bodie Island Lighthouse (Nags Head)

Drive south past Nags Head onto NC Highway 12 and you enter Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where the Bodie Island Lighthouse stands near the northern boundary. Pronounced “body,” this 1872 tower is wrapped in bold horizontal black-and-white bands and is the twin of Currituck Beach: the two were built from the same set of plans and then painted differently so sailors could tell which beacon they were seeing. The surrounding salt marsh and the elevated boardwalk make this one of the best birding spots on the seashore, even if you never set foot on the stairs.

Bodie Island is one of the two climbable Outer Banks lighthouses in 2026, managed by the National Park Service. Climbers must be at least 42 inches tall, weigh less than 260 pounds, and be able to climb the spiral stairs unassisted (no carriers or lifts). Tickets are limited and timed, so plan to arrive early on a busy summer day.

  • Location: On NC Highway 12, just south of Nags Head, in Cape Hatteras National Seashore
  • 2026 climbing season: Late April through mid-October (the Park Service confirms exact opening and closing dates each spring)
  • Admission: $10 adults; $5 for seniors (62+), children 11 and under, and disabled visitors
  • Tickets: Same-day, timed tickets sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Confirm the current sales method (in person at the site or online via Recreation.gov) before you go, as the Park Service has adjusted the process between seasons.
  • Phone: Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (877) 629-4386
  • More info: NPS Lighthouse Climbs, Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (Buxton)

The most famous beacon on the East Coast, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse soars 198.5 feet, making it the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. Its hypnotic black-and-white spiral (a “barber pole” you will recognize from a thousand postcards) marks the dangerous Diamond Shoals offshore, the shifting sandbars that earned this coast its nickname, the Graveyard of the Atlantic. In one of the great engineering feats of the modern era, the entire 4,800-ton tower was moved 2,900 feet inland in 1999 to save it from the encroaching surf.

Important for 2026: The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is closed to climbing through 2026 due to a major restoration. The work began in 2024 and was extended after crews discovered extensive cracking in the cast-iron brackets that support the gallery deck near the top. The good news for visitors: the grounds remain open, you can still walk right up to the base for photos, and the nearby Museum of the Sea and park store stay open seasonally. The light itself is still a working aid to navigation. Even wrapped in scaffolding, the tower is worth the trip, and it is a short drive from Bodie Island, so the two pair naturally on a Hatteras Island day.

Ocracoke Lighthouse (Ocracoke Island)

To reach the southernmost beacon you have to leave your car behind, or load it onto a ferry. The little white Ocracoke Lighthouse, built by hand in 1823, is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in North Carolina and the second oldest still in operation in the entire country. At just 75 feet, it is the shortest of the Outer Banks towers, with thick whitewashed walls that glow against the sky. Its solid white color (rather than a pattern) is itself the identifying mark.

You cannot climb the Ocracoke Lighthouse: the tower has never been open to the public and is maintained by the National Park Service as a working light. But the grounds, the historic keeper’s quarters, and a short boardwalk are free to visit year-round. Parking at the site is extremely limited (just a handful of spaces), so the best approach is to park near the Ocracoke Island Visitor Center and walk the few minutes over. The village itself, reachable by NCDOT and Hatteras ferries, is a charming, slow-paced reward at the end of the islands.

A Bonus Beacon: Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

If you want one more lighthouse without the long drive, stop in the waterfront town of Manteo on Roanoke Island. The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is a small, square, cottage-style “screw-pile” replica perched over Shallowbag Bay, recreating the kind of sound-side beacon that once dotted North Carolina’s inland waters. It sits at the end of a boardwalk near the North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island and makes an easy, photogenic add-on, especially at sunset.

How to See Them All: A Practical Loop

The lighthouses line up neatly from north to south, so a logical route runs the length of the Outer Banks:

  • Start in Corolla at Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the northern anchor.
  • Head south through Nags Head to Bodie Island Lighthouse, the first stop inside Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
  • Continue down Hatteras Island to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton (grounds only in 2026).
  • Take the ferry from Hatteras village to Ocracoke to finish at the oldest light of them all.

The free Hatteras-to-Ocracoke ferry takes about an hour and runs frequently in season, but it does not take reservations, so build in waiting time. If you want to climb both open towers in a single trip, give yourself at least two days; the distances along NC Highway 12 are deceptively long, and summer traffic on a single two-lane road can slow you down.

Tips for Climbing and Photographing

  • Go early. Same-day tickets for the climbable towers are limited and timed. Morning light is also kinder for photos and the stair climbs are cooler before midday heat.
  • Wear real shoes. The spiral cast-iron and brick stairways are steep and warm; flip-flops make the climb harder than it needs to be.
  • Check the weather and the season. All of the towers close to climbing in winter, and any of them can close on short notice for high winds or lightning.
  • Confirm details before you drive. Hours, prices, and especially Bodie Island’s ticketing process can change between seasons. A quick look at the official sites above will save you a wasted trip.

For broader trip planning, the official Outer Banks Visitors Bureau lighthouse guide and the state’s Visit North Carolina pages are good companions to the official attraction sites. One last planning tip: book your Outer Banks lodging well in advance for summer, then let the ferry schedule (not the clock) set the pace for your Ocracoke day. The slowest part of this trip is often the best part.

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