Outer Banks Lighthouses

As Hayes wrote, “Lighthouses are literally the light at the end of the tunnel. They are a guiding light in pitch black dark. They save you from disaster.” Outer Banks lighthouses are powerful structures whose flashing lights helped save the lives of countless sailors as they made their way to the North Carolina coast. They’re kind of like the guardian angels of the Outer Banks. Today one of the popular pastimes is visiting these historic lighthouses. You can even climb to the tops of many of them -- Currituck Light, Bodie Island Lighthouse and Hatteras Lighthouse! Stand in the nest and take in the panoramic view of the land below you: miles of ocean, shoreline, towns and marshes. Some of the lighthouses have little museums or information centers nearby, often in a restored keeper’s house, so you can learn about a lighthouse’s history and its particular significance in the area. Read our descriptions of the Currituck, Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, Roanoke Island Marshes and Ocracoke lighthouses and let their beacons of light draw you to them.


Outer Banks Attractions by Area

Corolla | Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills & Nags Head
Roanoke Island & Manteo | Hatteras Island | Ocracoke Island

Outer Banks Things To Do by Category

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

Outer Banks Lighthouses
1101 Corolla Village Road, Corolla
(252) 453-4939

The red-brick Currituck Beach Lighthouse towers above the Historic Corolla Village. Visitors to this Outer Banks attraction can climb the winding staircase...read more

The red-brick Currituck Beach Lighthouse towers above the Historic Corolla Village. Visitors to this Outer...read more

Pronounced “body,” this horizontally striped lighthouse is on the soundside at the southern end of Bodie Island in Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It re-...read more

A great place to stroll and pass some time is the boardwalk that winds along most of the Manteo waterfront. One end is quiet, with benches that look out...read more

The second-oldest lighthouse in North Carolina, Ocracoke Lighthouse is celebrating its 200th birthday in 2023! The 75-foot, whitewashed tower and its...read more