Eighteenth-century sailors knew the place as “Promontorium Tremendum,” or “Horrible Headland,” for its treacherous, ship-sinking shoals. Not much has changed, except that today’s visitors actually look forward to making landfall along North Carolina’s Cape Lookout National Seashore, a series of wild and breathtakingly beautiful barrier islands that unfurl like a 56-mile-long parenthesis just south of the better-known—and busier—Outer Banks.

Except for Harkers Island, which is reachable by car, the Cape Lookout islands can be enjoyed only after boarding a boat. Once across the narrow Core Sound, you’ll find no inhabited towns or roads, let alone T-shirt shops or snow-cone shacks. Instead, there are wide sandy beaches and shallow swimming coves perfect for families. Nearby villages on the mainland offer a mix of funky waterfronts, museums, fishing charters and sunset sailboat cruises. Whether you’re there for a day or a weekend, local “high-tiders” are happy to show you why the “other” Outer Banks are worth remembering.

The Basics Start at the visitor center on the eastern end of Harkers Island (252-728-2250; nps.gov/calo), where the staff can help you choose among Cape Lookout’s three main islands, each with its own appeal. They’ll also direct you to the appropriate ferry service. The most common way to get around is in a 16-passenger flat-bottomed skiff. Whichever island you visit, the boat ride is never more than eight miles, though sights like pelicans swooping overhead and wild ponies grazing on windswept dunes will probably make you wish it were longer. Plan to spend the day relaxing on an undeveloped beach—and remember, “undeveloped” means exactly that. Bring plenty of water and picnic supplies, as well as hats, sunscreen, insect repellent and a bucket—the shelling is fantastic. Snag a Scotch Bonnet, North Carolina’s state shell, as a special souvenir.
 
North and South North Core Banks is a string of constantly shifting barrier islands, beginning at the north end with Portsmouth Village, an abandoned 19th-century seafaring town. If you’re coming from one of the Outer Banks towns like Kitty Hawk or Duck, you can get to Portsmouth on a passenger ferry that leaves directly from Ocracoke Island, near the southern end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The inlet here drew sailors both nice and nefarious—this is where the wreck of Blackbeard’s ship the Queen Anne’s Revenge was discovered in 1996.

Once you’re in Portsmouth, explore the village on a tour guided by a park ranger. Call the visitor center or check online for the latest schedule.

From Harkers Island, drive north to the town of Atlantic to catch a vehicle ferry (877-956-6568; capelookoutconcessions.com) to North Core Banks. Note that both North Core Banks and South Core Banks allow vehicles but have no roads, so expect scenic beach drives—literally. Four-wheel-drive is recommended.

South Core Banks is a 21-mile-long ribbon of sand anchored on the south end by the 1859 Cape Lookout Lighthouse. (Its distinctive black and white diamonds can be seen on souvenirs around the area.) Ranger tours here focus on early island life—for example, visitors will learn that the lighthouse-keeper used to climb 197 steps while carrying two buckets of whale oil to fuel the burning lanterns. There’s a vehicle ferry in Davis (15 miles north of Harkers Island), but numerous small operations will take you straight from Harkers Island to the foot of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.

Both North and South Core Banks are beloved by sport fishermen, who are drawn to the islands by plentiful sea trout, bluefish and red drum. Each island has an old-fashioned fish camp that allows visitors to stay overnight.

A Pocket Wilderness
The third “big” island, Shackleford Banks, is a short kayak trip from the historic waterfront village of Beaufort. (Not to worry—there’s also a ferry.) Much of the island, which is a proposed wilderness area, is cloaked in dense maritime forests, and the gravestones of ancient mariners lie hidden under drooping oak trees. Don’t go without a camera: Shackleford’s large dunes are home to herds of diminutive ponies. Though wild, they’re surprisingly willing to be photographed from as close as 30 feet away.

Mainland Events
When you’re ready for some air-conditioning and ice cream, head back to the mainland towns. In Beaufort, scores of sailboats and yachts tie up at the docks. A short walk away, see full-size replicas of historic boats at the North Carolina Maritime Museum (252-728-7317; free). The pirate exhibit, starring local bad boy Blackbeard, is a kid favorite.
 
Connected to the mainland by low bridges that cross sweeping expanses of salt marsh, Harkers Island is the spiritual center of the entire Cape Lookout region. Here, ancient shrimp trawlers and tiny decoy shops serve as reminders of island history. Make time to visit the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center (252-728-1500; coresound.com; free). Since 2003, it has occupied a stunning building whose soaring tower allows a panoramic view of Core Sound and beyond. The exhibits—on decoy carving and commercial
fishing—are works in progress, but they’re worth visiting. Best, there’s usually a local volunteer on hand to share historical tidbits, like tales of the mail boat that used to carry gossip and Christmas packages up and down Core Sound.

North to the Outer Banks
Many visitors to the Cape Lookout region are on day trips from seaside communities on the northern Outer Banks, such as Duck and Kitty Hawk. From there, a scenic three-hour drive south on Route 12 takes you through most of the Outer Banks. On Ocracoke Island, you can catch the car ferry to Cedar Island on the mainland, or park and walk aboard the ferry to Portsmouth Village.

Finding your way around the Core Banks takes a little logistical planning—their wild, windswept beaches are well off the beaten path. But the people who make their home in this area say they live on the best part of the North Carolina coast. After a visit, it’s hard to disagree with them.