: Black & white patterned tower of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse stands against a blue & white cloud f
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is still an active aid-to-navigation, warning ships of the nearby shoals. Climbing to up to see the view from the gallery level, 14 stories above the ground, is also a popular activity by visitors during the summer. NPS photo

Cape Lookout National Seashore

National Seashore / Lakeshore · North Carolina · National Park Service

A boat ride three miles off-shore brings you to the barrier islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore. Horse watching, shelling, fishing, birding, camping, lighthouse climbing, and touring historic villages--there’s something for everyone at Cape Lookout. Be sure to bring all the food, water, and supplies you need (and carry your trash out of the park) when visiting these remote beaches.

Plan your visit

Camping

Camping · Backcountry Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Phone
2527282250
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Enslavement · Maritime · Coastal Defenses · Lighthouses · Wars and Conflicts · Civil War · Animals · Horses (wild) · Tortoises and Turtles · Night Sky · Astronomy · Unique Species · Endangered

Activities & features: Auto and ATV · ATV Off-Roading · Auto Off-Roading · Astronomy · Stargazing · Boating · Canoe or Kayak Camping · Fishing · Saltwater Fishing · Hunting and Gathering · Hunting · Paddling · Canoeing · Kayaking · Junior Ranger Program · Swimming · Saltwater Swimming · Wildlife Watching · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • A bird with orange bill and orange legs runs along the tide line. Waves in the background
    NPS Photo / Sabrina Godin
  • A red light illuminates a tent on the sand, with a star filled sky behind it.
    NPS Photo / Sabrina Godin
  • A seashell lays in the sand, with the sun setting in the background.
    NPS Photo / Sabrina Godin
  • A sand covered turtles flings sand on the beach while laying eggs.
    NPS Photo
  • A Jeep drives on the sand in between grass covered dunes.
    NPS Photo / Sabrina Godin
  • A angler sits in a chair, with two fishing poles in the sand. Lighthouse in background.
    NPS Photo / Sabrina Godin

Nearby parks

Parks of North Carolina

Fort Macon State ParkGoose Creek State ParkCrowders Mountain State ParkLake Waccamaw State ParkMount Jefferson State Natural AreaMorrow Mountain State ParkSouth Mountains State ParkMerchants Millpond State ParkCliffs of the Neuse State ParkWilliam B. Umstead State ParkMayo River State ParkFalls Lake State Recreation AreaPettigrew State ParkCape Hatteras National SeashoreNew River State ParkMoores Creek National BattlefieldGuilford Courthouse National Military ParkCarolina Beach State ParkDismal Swamp State ParkOvermountain Victory National Historic TrailMedoc Mountain State ParkGrandfather Mountain State ParkKerr Lake State Recreation AreaRaven Rock State ParkFort Fisher State Recreation AreaLake Norman State ParkJockey's Ridge State ParkLumber River State ParkJordan Lake State Recreation AreaGorges State ParkLake James State ParkSingletary Lake State ParkFort Raleigh National Historic SiteElk Knob State ParkPilot Mountain State ParkBlue Ridge ParkwayOcconeechee Mountain State Natural AreaEno River State ParkCarl Sandburg Home National Historic SiteHammocks Beach State ParkMount Mitchell State ParkHanging Rock State ParkJones Lake State ParkStone Mountain State ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National ParkWright Brothers National MemorialWeymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

48 parks mapped in North Carolina

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service · updated 2026-08-12