Cape Lookout National Seashore

National reserve · Carteret County

Cape Lookout National Seashore

National reserve · Carteret County

1

1800 Island Rd, Harkers Island, NC 28531

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Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null
Cape Lookout National Seashore by null

Highlights

Lighthouse, historic villages, remote birding, fishing, camping  

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1800 Island Rd, Harkers Island, NC 28531 Get directions

nps.gov

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1800 Island Rd, Harkers Island, NC 28531 Get directions

+1 252 728 2250
nps.gov

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Last updated

Oct 16, 2025

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The 15 Best Beach Camping Spots in the US

"For those looking to really rough it, this campground in North Carolina has no formal campsites and few amenities, but offers gorgeous, sandy beaches and beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean." - Travel + Leisure Editors

https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/beach-vacations/best-places-to-camp-on-the-beach-usa
View Postcard for Cape Lookout National Seashore

Ryan Junior

Google
Great place to camp on the beach. You can take a vehicle ferry (which is around $100 round trip) and stay up to 14 days ($50 fee for the entire 14 days). You can drive your 4 wheel drive SUV and/or truck on the beach or rent a gator on the island. You can park and camp anywhere on the beach. The Lighthouse and historical village is cool to see. There are also cabins to rent on the island too ($120 per night). Fishing is the main tourist attraction here.

bella goodell

Google
Loved camping this past weekend. We originally only planned to stay for one night since it was our first time here but ended up calling the ferry and scheduling to stay for a couple more nights. Sunsets and sunrises were beautiful. Make sure you don’t make the same mistake as us and bring lots of bug spray. When the wind dies down the bugs really do come out!!!

Sherry Willard

Google
One of my favorite places to visit and explore! Rent an ATV or utilize their truck service for the day and head to the point! If you’re lucky you may find some beautiful shells. It does get very crowded but they manage it very well.

Donna Dineley

Google
Overall great experience. The staff and volunteers were all very nice and helpful. Some notes; Generators are allowed to run 24/7. If you're staying in the cabins, you can't really hear them inside, but you definitely can if you're sitting in your screened in porch. We were in cabin 20. The nearest 2 cabins both had generators that ran non-stop, and they didn't have them placed inside the generator sheds, which might have muffled the sound some if they had used them. The generator sheds have a regular 3-prong household plug so there's no special plug needed. It's HOT in the summer. Apparently, you're allowed to bring an a/c unit. (Thus the all night generators.) We had quite a problem with hoards of tiny black ants. Highly recommend putting any open snack foods in ziplock bags. The ants will go after anything. They managed to find the individual wrapped hard candy that was in my sister's purse on one of the top bunks. Her purse was overrun with them. We even found them on non-food containers. Lastly, you may want to bring some kind of curtains or at least one for the bathroom. There was a window in our cabin directly above the toilet. Cell service was great everywhere we went.

Lauren Barry

Google
This was by far the best beach I have ever been to! The entire beach was clean and peaceful. The lighthouse was also really cool to see and provided a rich history of the lighthouse keepers. The park staff and rangers were really friendly and helpful. The beach was not busy either so plenty of places to relax.

Aaron Parker

Google
This is easily one of our favorite places in North Carolina. The whole area is just amazing fun. We love camping in the area, as well as just hanging out at the beach itself. If you have not been here yet... you are in fact missing out. Look up DAVIS FERRY and make your way to the island. Take your 4x4 and have an amazing primitive camping trip right on the beach!

Samantha Wagner

Google
The ocean view is beautiful! We rode the Island Ferry over to Cape Lookout during their Sunset Ride and it was so delightful. The only way to get to Harkers Island, which is where Cape Lookout Lighthouse is located, is by ferry. There were at least two different ferries to choose from. Both had comparable rates. $22 each for the Sunset ferry. I recommend going during sunset. The sky was phenomenal! The island is romantic and secluded. Also good for children although wear comfortable walking shoes. You will be walking the property of the island then of course on the beach. We got a ton of frame worthy pictures of the lighthouse and backdrop of the sunsetting sky. Awesome trip!

Charles Staley

Google
This is a great place to visit. The easiest way is to go to Harkers Island and get tickets from Island Express Ferry Service. You can walk the boardwalk, visit the Lighthouse and Keeper's quarters, go shelling, take the Beach Shuttle through the Cape Lookout Village Historic District to Cape Point, or rent a 4 wheel drive side-by-side to drive around the Island. I think that is the most fun. There is a lot of history tied up in this area going back before Blackbeard the Pirate, through the World Wars, and down to today. Look up "Torpedo Alley."