Ocracoke Island: North Carolina's wonderful little secret
Written: Jan 18 '07 (Updated Jan 19 '07)
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Pros: Quiet, unspoiled. Beautiful, pristine beaches. laid-back, unpretentious atmosphere. Inexpensive.
Cons: Be prepared for burrs and mosquitoes in August.
The Bottom Line: Ocracoke Island is the best kept secret in the Carolinas. It's inexpensive, gorgeous, unspoiled and fun. I can't wait to go back.
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| chickaboom's Full Review: Outer Banks, NC |
I have been visiting hyper-manicured Hilton Head Island, SC, since my childhood and have also spent time in Nags Head and Kittyhawk, NC, so I am utterly amazed that I had never heard of Ocracoke Island before August. It is an astoundingly unspoiled place, more beautiful by far than many more famous east coast islands and beaches.
Ocracoke is one of North Carolina's barrier islands and is part of the Outer Banks. It is reachable only by air or ferry. The island is around 13 miles long, with a highway (NC Highway 12, built in 1957) in the center. Except for the village, the majority of the island is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and boasts 16 miles of unspoiled beachfront. The park has beach access points with parking, restroom and changing facilities as well as a campground. The village of Ocracoke is small, but has everything you need for a comfortable stay, including several hotels, motels and B&Bs as well as variety of restaurants.
I stumbled on a website for Ocracoke (http://www.ocracokeguide.com/) while looking for a campground that would accept reservations over Labor Day weekend. I was surprised that the campground and ferry were not full for the holiday and wondered if there was something wrong with the island or campground that made reservations so easy to get.
Transportation
The island is accessible by two state-run ferries, one from Cedar Island (a little over two hours, 800-773-1094), the other from Swan Quarter (2.5 hours, 800-856-0343). Reservations are recommended. We (my boyfriend, his kids, 6 and 8, and my golden retriever) caught an early-morning ferry to Ocracoke from Swan Quarter. The ferry costs $15 for a car, including passengers, and $1 for pedestrians, an amazing deal when you compare it to the Block Island ferry ($40/car, passengers extra) or the Nantucket Ferry ($175/car, passengers extra). Bicycles are cost $3, and are sufficient for getting around the island. More information about ferry routes and schedules can be found online (http://www.ncdot.org/transit/ferry/routes/). The island is also accessible by private plane.
Our ride to the island was uneventful. We had all taken Dramamine as a precaution but the ride was very smooth, and we skipped the motion-sickness meds on our return. People are allowed to stay in their cars or go upstairs to the enclosed deck. The deck has satellite television (tuned to CNN) and comfortable booths but no snack bar. The only thing to note is that dogs not allowed inside and that is a potential problem when it is hot, which it usually is in North Carolina in the summertime. We took turns sitting in the car, turning the engine on for AC to keep the dog cool. It was a waste of fuel and emissions, and I wish there was someplace either inside or outside to sit with a pet.
We were instructed to get to Swan Quarter an hour before the ferry was to leave and because we didn't know what to expect of traffic, we got there even earlier. Be advised, there is nothing -- and I mean nothing -- to do in Swan Quarter, so if you anticipate an early arrival, bring a picnic and a book. On the way back, we overslept and after a panicky ride to the dock, made the ferry with just seconds to spare (oops). I wouldn't recommend it, but they were very good-natured about our lateness.
Town
The total year-round population is 700 people. We did not spend a lot of time in town; our visits were confined to driving around a little and couple trips to the store to buy items we'd forgotten. We brought enough groceries and water for our entire visit (two days). In retrospect we brought much more than was necessary because the grocery store had everything we needed and the prices were fairly reasonable. We were glad that the store had firewood, which we had not thought to bring.
We did not eat at any of the restaurants, although a couple sounded fun, with seafood, live music and outdoor decks. In general, the village has a very laid-back island vibe, not glitzy or showy but a place you imagine people have come to for years. We were so contented on the beach that we did not visit some of the other attractions, which include the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina, a World War II era British naval cemetery, a museum, and Portsmouth Island, home to an 18th century-era restored ghost town.
Campground
We stayed at the National Park Service's Ocracoke Campground (252-928-5111 or 800-365-CAMP) which allows only tents. It has toilet facilities, cold showers and fresh drinking water. You can make reservations for the campground but not for a specific site. Leashed dogs are allowed. There are also two private campgrounds on the island, Beachcomber Campground (252-928-4031) and Teeter Campground (252-928-3135). The latter has hookups for RVs.
When we arrived at the ranger station, we were instructed to drive around and choose a site. One side of the campground is right at the base of the sand dune which fronts the ocean, the other side is near a swampy area. We got there early enough to get one of two sites left near the ocean. We could hear the crashing waves from our tent.
The campground has a friendly feel with lots of families and couples. It did not seem crowded, and in fact, there were campsites empty, despite that it was a holiday weekend. Campers ranged in age from 20-65. It was quiet at night: no loud music, no rowdy, noisy folks. The showers left a little to be desired; there was a long wait at peak times, and the water was very cold. Shade is scarce in the campground, so we spent our days on the beach.
Beaches
The beaches are incredible. Undeveloped and unspoiled, wide, with soft sand, crashing waves, and barely a soul in sight. We boogie boarded, napped, swam, sunbathed, flew kites, and searched for shells. A bonus is that there are no off-limit hours, so we could watch the sun rise and set, have a campfire and cook right on the beach at night. In fact, when we asked the ranger what time the beach closed, he told us not to pitch a tent there but that we could stay on the beach as late as we wanted. We stayed until 11 PM both nights, sitting around the campfire, drinking wine (the adults) and toasting marshmallows (the kids). Swimming is allowed in most, if not all, places, and there is one official swimming beach with a lifeguard 1.5 miles from Ocracoke center. There are also several access points for four-wheel drive vehicles.
Ponies
Ocracoke has a famous herd of wild ponies. They used to wander free on the island, but were imperiled by cars so are now penned. There is a viewing boardwalk that allows you to see them. Not to fear, the "pens" are 160 acres of beautiful waterfront land. Not a bad life for a pony.
Based on historical and anatomical evidence, many believe the ponies are descended from mustangs that arrived with the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. "Pony" is a bit misleading; they are actually quite big and look more like horses. The park service guide told us that they believe that the ponies interbred with other horses and that the park service plans to mate the existing Ocracoke ponies with those found on other islands to restore the breed. In addition to not really being ponies, they are also not very wild; they've been taken care of for years and seem to like people. They will even tolerate petting if they come close enough to the fence. The kids loved them.
Burrs, and tides and mosquitoes, oh my!
I loved almost every minute we spent at Ocracoke, and there were only a few things that kept our experience from being unnaturally perfect. The first is that there is no lifeguard near the campground and the under-toe is quite strong. The second is that there are lots of little burrs in the sand near the campsites. We quickly learned that we had to wear shoes around the tent, but the dog was pretty unhappy walking around. The third is an incredibly persistent swarm of mosquitoes, the likes of which I have never seen. In fact, despite liberal applications of insect repellent, my arms were swollen with bites (next time I will bring the super-heavy-duty bug spray; the kids and my boyfriend had bites but no swelling, I must have been allergic). Still, imperfections and all I would not hesitate to go back.
Summary
I can hardly believe how beautiful and unspoiled Ocracoke remains. The beaches are simply incredible and although we stayed longer, it would be an easy day-trip. It is a wonderful place to camp and might be an even more wonderful place to rent a house or stay in a hotel, if camping isn't your cup of tea. I don't think you will be disappointed with a trip to Ocracoke. I really look forward to my next visit.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
chickaboom
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Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
A young female professional in Connecticut; avid hiker, traveler, skier.
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