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Ocracoke Inlet is the oldest inlet in the Outer Banks. As an entry point for English colonists who passed through it in 1585 on their way to Roanoke Island (Manteo), it provided a safe, smooth passage. As the colony grew, Ocracoke Inlet became a thriving hub for trade. As trade and traffic increased, the inlet developed a notorious reputation for being dangerous — but not because of the shoals.
A Brief History of the Lighthouses of the Outer Banks
There is perhaps nothing as iconic to the Outer Banks as the lighthouses that stand above the shoreline from Corolla to Ocracoke Island. Soaring above the beach, they were some of the first guardians of the coast, warning mariners of dangerous shoals and treacherous seas. They maintain that function even today, their lights flashing distinctive patterns into the night sky and their particular color and paint arrangements giving sailors visual reckoning as they pass the North Carolina coast.
