The Harkers Island Visitor Center is located on the east end of Harkers Island at the end of Harkers Island Road. From this location the Cape Lookout Lighthouse can be seen 3 miles across Core Sound. On bad weather days ths is the safest way to view the lighthouse. Exhibits tell the story of the island communities, the Life Saving Service and other local history. Also featured is information on sea turtles and the Shackleford horses. The indoor theater offers 2 short films (10 minutes in length) daily on a rotating schedule. The bookstore stocks books, tapes, videos and children's items all related to some aspect of Cape Lookout National Seashore. Public restrooms and a nearby picnic area are all wheelchair accessible.

Cape Lookout National Seashore is reachable only by private boat or public ferry. These ferries depart from Harkers Island, Beaufort, Morehead City, Atlantic, Davis and Ocracoke, NC. For more information on ferry services to Cape Lookout call the Park Visitor Center at 252-728-2250, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Hours of Operation: Visitor Center on Harkers Island is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET (closed December 25 and January 1). Visitor Centers in the Lighthouse Keepers Quarters and in Portsmouth Village are open from April to November (hours vary). Private ferry service to the park offered mid-March to the first weekend in December. Park accessible by personal boat year round.

Primitive cabin rentals available from April 1st to the first weekend in December.

Fees: There are entry fees for this park
No Metro Region listed. Park Management: Federal

Printed Materials
Lighthouse History     North Carolina Lighthouse Guide     Sea Turtles     Planning your Visit     Portsmouth Village     Shackleford Horses     Lighthouse from Ocracoke Island     Off Road Driving