Home » Travel » North & South Carolina » Ocracoke Island: A Magical Adventure

Ocracoke Island: A Magical Adventure

© Stephen Strother

For starters, the entire island, with the exception of the 900-acre village, is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore – a national park that covers sections of several Outer Banks islands. Thanks to the protection provided to it by the National Park System, Ocracoke remains ideal habitat for many plant, animal, bird, and marine species. Many of these species, such as the loggerhead turtle and the piping plover are seriously dwindling in numbers and Ocracoke serves as one of the few remaining virtually undisturbed coastal areas that still provide safe nesting grounds for them.

There is no beachfront property on Ocracoke (as the entire beach is part of the national park) so do not expect to find a seaside cottage or an oceanfront hotel room. If you usually prefer oceanfront locations believe me you will hardly even notice the lack of such accommodations. There are many great bed and breakfasts, cottages, and inns in the village of Ocracoke and they all have their own special charm. If you absolutely must stay on the water you can stay at one of the soundside establishments instead.

Another unique feature of Ocracoke is that a visitor can experience the whole town without spending any time in a car. The closest beach access is about a mile from the town of Ocracoke and it can be reached by car, bike or on foot. I strongly recommend that if you do spend some time on Ocracoke that you rent a bike from one of the many rental shops in town. Almost everything you would want to do is easily reachable by bicycle. Riding a bike for the length of your stay will not only add to the unique nature of your visit by allowing you to experience the island more personally. I have found that there is a lot to be said for traveling throughout an island like Ocracoke on the seat of a bicycle - exercising the body, calming the mind, and breathing deeply the fresh seaside air.

An even more unique and alluring feature of Ocracoke is that all businesses on the island are locally owned and operated. The town has succesfully maintained an effort to keep chain and franchise establishments off the island. This gives everything in town a uniquely local flare. There are no McDonalds or Wendys eating establishments. You will not find any Gap clothing stores. There are no Holiday Inn motels. And there are no Wal-Mart or Target Department stores. Instead you find places like Howard’s Pub, The Light Keepers Guesthouse, Deepwater Pottery & Uniquities, Island Artworks, the Island Ragpicker and many more. Friendly locals that know the community and care about the island operate them all.