One of our favorite things to do while we were stationed in Coastal North Carolina was exploring the little islands surrounding us. We road tripped up the Outer Banks (hands down one of the highlights of our time in NC), ferried to Shackleford Banks to see the wild horses and drove through a bunch of the ones close to Jacksonville. Sadly we didn’t make it to Oak Island or Bald Head Island to see our last NC lighthouses… but we’ll see them someday!
In September 2021 we drove 1hr 20min to Harkers Island for another fun day trip! From there we took a small ferry with Island Express Service (same company we used in Beaufort to visit Shackleford Banks) to Cape Lookout. There was a gorgeous view of the lighthouse and the other side of Shackleford Banks from the ferry. We got lucky and spotted some of the wild horses from the ferry as well!
After arriving on the island we realized we had to pay to ride a shuttle to Cape Point. Was it annoying? A bit, but since we wanted to go to the beach we didn’t really have a choice. It was $13 per person roundtrip, also through Island Express Service. It was worth it though because on the way to the beach we got to learn about the Cape’s history and also see a park ranger work on a turtles nest. I’ve compiled all the ferry/shuttle information at the end of the post so make sure you scroll all the way down!
In the end this was probably one of my favorite beaches we visited in North Carolina!! That is until I had a bathing suit mishap 😂 thankfully we went during the week and the beach was practically empty! PHEW! Here’s your reminder to not use crusty old bathing suit tops!! 😅
Before heading back to Harkers Island we visited the Cape Lookout Light Station Visitor Center, then walked down to the lighthouse and visited the Keepers’ Quarters Museum. Sadly we didn’t get to climb it. The lighthouse has been closed since early 2021 for structural reasons, but it looks like it’s set to reopen sometime in 2023. You can check this website for more updated information.
^^ the captain stopped the boat so that we could take photos of the lighthouse and I couldn’t have been happier ^^
^^ There were so many pickup trucks with bed campers attached to them! Lots of fishing happening too! ^^
^ Our Japanese beach tent is always a must! I also packed my cooler bag with Hawaiian roll sandwiches and drinks! ^
Be sure to buy your ferry tickets to Cape Lookout in advance through Island Express Ferry.
The ferry trip is a 25 min ride from Harkers Island.
ISLAND EXPRESS FERRY HARKERS ISLAND
1800 Island Rd
Harkers Island, NC
Ferry Tickets:
Adults – $22
Children (3-11) – $15
Infants – Free
Pets – $7
Schedule / Book online
Beach Shuttle:
$13 per person
Children (2 and under) – Free
Schedule
I also recommend checking out their Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout combo trip! You can read / see more from our day trip to Shackleford Banks if you’re on the fence. We had a blast on both trips!
Make sure you check out my other North Carolina posts!