Cape Lookout Lighthouse &The Cape Lookout Bight

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."
--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Still an iconic statue representing Carteret County. Sadly, the Lighthouse itself is closed until further notice.  Visitors can view the outside "View from the Top" video located in the lighthouse Keepers' Quarters is directly in front of the Lighthouse.  There is no fee for entry.  

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Cape Lookout is the southern point of the Core Banks, one of the natural barrier islands on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina located in the Southern Outer Banks on The Crystal Coast. Core Banks and Shackleford Banks have been designated as parts of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.

There is no way to drive to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, unlike the other 6 lighthouses in NC. An authorized permittee of the National Park Service, e.g. H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions, is required to reach the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.

There are no wild horses at Cape Lookout. However, Shackleford Banks, the southern-most barrier island in the Cape Lookout National Seashore, is home to more than 125 wild horses. Venture out by H2O Captain boat to enjoy the rare privilege of watching wild horses that live without the help of humans.  Some visitors combine these two adventures by going to both barrier islands—we call that private excursion Double Trouble: Shack Attack and a Lighthouse!!

The light station at Cape Lookout was authorized in 1804 and four acres of land were purchased from Joseph Fulford and Elijah Piggot the following February.

The first Cape Lookout Lighthouse was built in 1812, but at 96' feet tall, it was too short to be effective for mariners traveling through the dangerous offshore Diamond Shoals. The current Cape Lookout Lighthouse was built to replace the original structure and was officially lit on November 1, 1859.

It is a red brick tower, 163 ft high; a spiral iron staircase winds to the top. The first-order Fresnel lens displays a fixed light that can be seen 18 miles in good weather. This tower is the first of this new style to be built along the Outer Banks. It is one of the very few lighthouses that operate during the day. It became fully automated in 1950. 

Fun Facts
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is the only such structure in the United States to bear the checkered daymark, intended not only for differentiation between similar light towers but also to show direction. The center of the points of the black diamonds are in a north-south direction, while the centers of the white diamonds points east-west.

On May 20, 1861, North Carolina joined the Confederacy and all of the lenses were removed from the coastal lighthouses and navigational beacons to prevent Union forces from using the lights to navigate the coast. Union troops captured the nearby towns of Beaufort and Morehead City in 1862 and by the end of the next year, a third-order Fresnel lens was installed in the Cape Lookout lighthouse. On April 2, 1864, a small group of Confederate troops under the command of L.C. Harland snuck through Union lines and out to the lighthouse. Their attempt to blow up the lighthouse was unsuccessful, however, the explosion did destroy the lighthouse oil supply and damaged the iron stairs. With iron unavailable during the war, the damaged sections of the stairs were replaced by wooden ones. The Fresnel lenses from all the North Carolina lighthouses were found in 1865 in Raleigh. The lenses were shipped back to their original manufacturers to be checked out and repaired. In 1867, the temporary wooden stairs were replaced when iron once again became available after the war and the original first-order Fresnel lens was reinstalled.

A total of seven coastal lighthouses dot North Carolina's shoreline from the Outer Banks to the Brunswick Islands. Though long ago they protected adventurers from our treacherous shores, today they draw visitors for some of the most incredible views you will ever see when open.

Taking your family to visit all 7 Lighthouses in NC? Well...you can take your car to 6 of them, but our lighthouse, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, is the southernmost lighthouse on the Crystal Coast along the Outer Banks and is only accessible by boat.   H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions will get you there and back safely, and all passengers will be on cushioned seats to absorb all the big waves!
The seven North Carolina Lighthouses are:
• Currituck
• Bodie Island
• Hatteras
• Ocracoke
• Cape Lookout
• Oak Island, and
• Bald Head Island.

The Cape Lookout Bight is a magical place where the ocean meets Barden Inlet. Most often, H2O Captain places the boat just a few short yards from the ocean at the tip of The Bight. This is the Cape Lookout area that the commercial ferry and most private boaters do not go to! Enjoy a peaceful time there while swimming/wading on either side of this huge sandbar with shallows on the ocean side and a quick slide into 24’ of water on the protected side. Walking on either side will also provide you with some good shelling! Ask Captain Mark for your official H2O Captain Shelling Bag.

FAQs

Q.  I’m excited.  What is the best time of day to climb to the top of the Lighthouse?
A.  Sadly, the Lighthouse is closed until further notice.

Q.  What is the best time to visit the Cape Lookout Lighthouse?
A.  Locals will inform you that the best times to visit the Lighthouse are during April and May, as well as September and October, when it is neither too warm nor too humid.  The wild horses remain on the island all year long.

Q.  Is the Cape Lookout Lighthouse suitable for day trips?
A.  Yes, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse is perfect for day trips. It is located at the most southern point of the Outer Banks and the private excursion takes approximately 5 hours.

Q.  Can I combine a visit to the Lighthouse and still see the wild horses?
A.  Absolutely! Many visitors combine these two adventures by going to both barrier islands—we call that private excursion Double Trouble: Shack Attack and a Lighthouse!!

Q.  What makes the Cape Lookout Lighthouse unique?
A.  It is the only lighthouse in North Carolina that you cannot drive a car to.  It is only accessible by boat.

For a well-prepared day’s adventure, explore the following topics on our site:

• Checklist for your private excursion
• The Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Bight
• The Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks
• Additional FAQs

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Shackleford Banks Wild Horses Tour

See wild horses on the beach!

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world?
There's nothing to it
Songwriters: Anthony Newley / Leslie Bricusse, Pure Imagination lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Tratore, Taradam Music, Inc

Thank you for being so interested in seeking more information on finding the wild banker horses of Shackleford with our most popular and exclusive excursion, BWB Repeat - Boat, Walk, Beach...Repeat.

H2O Captain takes you to a place where the Ferries do not go! We go to multiple locations on Shack where the ferry does not go.  H2O Captain is an authorized permittee to take you via boat to the island as well as authorized to operate a land tour looking for Shackleford’s wild horses and for great shelling opportunities!

Shackleford Banks is one of the barrier islands comprising Cape Lookout National Seashore. This island is unique within the park as having the only expanse of maritime forest (defined as live oak trees more than 15 feet in height), which provides some shelter for the wild horses and is the only island with an east-to-west orientation. The island is approximately 8.25 miles long and ranges from less than ½ mile to almost 2 miles in width (including marsh islands).

· At the beginning of 2025, there were 113 wild horses on Shackleford Banks.  As of August 20, 2025, there are 110.
· The herd is 61% female and 39% male. Of the oldest horses (18 years of age and older), 21 are female and 1 is male.
· The oldest living horse on the island is a 30-year-old mare.
· In 2024, 14 foals were born. Herd mortality was 9% (11 horses). This is above the 6% average mortality from 1999 through 2024, inclusive, but does not change that average..

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Questions that passengers often ask Captain Mark:

Where did the wild horses come from?
The legends about horses swimming ashore from sinking ships are not proven. There were shipwrecks along the coast and the horses are recognized as Colonial Spanish.
• Early European explorers brought horses and colonists/settlers bred horses.
• Overland traders and colonists moved south through the area and met Chickasaw Indians on horses.
• Two recorded events link horses to our barrier islands: Sir Richard Grenville landing June 21-26, 1585; and DeAyllon landing on Cape Feare in the 1520s. Historic Department of the Interior maps show Cape Lookout had been called Cape Feare.

How long have the wild horses been on Shackleford Banks?
For over 4 centuries, long enough to adapt to the challenging environment.

How many wild horses are on Shackleford Banks?
The population is managed between 110 and 130 horses.

Do they need freshwater or have they evolved to drink saltwater?
• Just like us humans the wild horses of Shackleford Banks do not drink brackish or saltwater, they require fresh water!
• Freshwater is found under barrier islands in wide, deep lenses that fill ponds, lenses which fill surface pools, seeps, and digs.
• HINT, if it looks like the horses are drinking saltwater, they are probably either eating grasses that grow under the saltwater or sipping fresh water off the top of quiet saltwater. If it is low tide at Shackleford, Captain Mark can take you to a secret place within a short hike where a herd goes to drink!

What do the wild horses of Shackleford eat?
Results of plant selection and consumption are shown to the right. In the fall, sea oats, centipede grass, and smooth cordgrass made up 78% of the horse’s diet. In the winter, centipede grass consumption increased slightly, consumption of sea oats decreased by half, consumption of smooth cordgrass decreased by two-thirds, while the overall variety of plants consumed increased. The increased variety consumed in winter could be due to decreased growth and/or palatability among the plants chosen in other seasons.

In the spring, centipede consumption dropped by three-quarters in favor of increased sea oats, smooth cordgrass, and pennywort. In the summer, sea oats, centipede, and smooth cordgrass made up 64.3% of the horse’s diet with other plants making up the difference. Saltmeadow cordgrass consumption was fairly consistent across the four seasons.

Pennywort is a significant component (10%) of the diet in the spring; winter consumption is about half of spring consumption, while summer and fall consumption is very low. Interestingly, glasswort is eaten along with alterniflora, but at a low percentage and only in winter and spring.

Smooth cordgrass had the highest nutrient density with respect to digestible energy, crude protein, and calcium for all four seasons.

Please note: Supplemental feeding is not necessary and can be dangerous to the horses.

In the photo below:  Captain Mark asked the National Park Service's Wildlife Biologist Dr. Sue Stuska to go on a fact-finding trip to Shackleford Banks Whale Creek area.  Biologist Stuska brought two VIPs along.  The video above also features Dr. Stuska.

What happens to the wild horses during hurricanes?
• The wild horses take care of themselves as they have been doing for centuries.
• After hurricanes, the wild horses are checked. Sometimes it takes as long as 2 months to find all the wild horse herd members on Shackleford Banks.

Are they ponies or horses?
• They are small and powerful horses. When fully grown, they range in height from 11 to 13 hands (a hand = 4”).
• They are genetically closer to the other Atlantic coast wild horses in the Outer Banks than to domestic breeds such as Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds.

Best of all to watch these horses in the wild is both a blessing and a gift. Although there is never a guarantee that we will see them, Captain Mark will take you on two different trails spanning the width of Shackleford Banks for a greater opportunity.

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Videos

Choose one of our various excursions and create new memories for your friends and family!

Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship
Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip
Ride captain ride upon your mystery ship
On your way to a world that others might have missed
--Lyrics from a tune by Blues Image

An Introduction to H2O Captain's Mission Statement

Running Wild Horses with the H2O Captain boat in the background

Wild Horses Seen on our BWB Repeat Excursion 

H2O Captains' 1st Mate...Lucky the Dog!

The Cape Lookout Bight

Captain Mark Showing Two  Lovely Ladies Around Shackleford, Cape Lookout Lighthouse, Tiki Bar Boat, and other attractions in the area.

The Boating Experience while crossing the Beaufort Inlet

Baby Horse on Shackleford Banks on 21May21

A foal (baby horse) gets a lesson from its family on Shackleford (our most popular tour) Video captured by - Pearl Marley via White Gem Productions https://vimeo.com/user97204333

The Wild Horses on Shackleford Banks

Dolphin breaching in Taylor's Creek in Beaufort

Taking a drive down the ICW to Emerald Isle, NC

Testimonials