Outer Banks: What to See on Your “Graveyard of the Atlantic” Tour

Travel Articles | April 16, 2009

The waters off of the Outer Banks have long been recognized as some of the most treacherous anywhere, earning it the nickname, "Graveyard of the Atlantic". To combat this and to aid ships in distress, the U.S. did everything from build lighthouses to employ the United States Lifesaving Service along its shores. Take a tour to see some of the rich history of the Outer Banks and enjoy some breath-taking views and hair-raising stories.

The Outer Banks, known for its great beaches and great surfing and fishing, also has a reputation for what lies just offshore: "The Graveyard of the Atlantic". Since the earliest explorers in the 1500's, mariners have struggled to safely navigate theses waters, and many of them can now be found resting on the bottom of the ocean. So take one of those less than ideal beach days on your vacation, forsake the shopping, and take a trip along the Outer Banks coast to learn of these spine-tingling experiences and the men who tried to battle them. The great news is that you do not need a formal guide to take you to these places. All you need is a car, a full tank of gas, and off you go on your journey.

The order by which you see these six historical venues is totally up to you and where you are staying. To see all of this in one day may be a bit aggressive, so you decide what pace to take. In your tour, we will include stops at the four lighthouses on the Outer Banks located from Corolla to Ocracoke, which are Currituck, Bodie, Cape Hatteras, and Ocracoke lighthouses (from north to south). In addition, we will include a stop at the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station and a stop at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is the one place that brings everything together and even has some remains of the wreckage off-shore. For purposes of the article, we will go from north to south.

The first stop on our tour is the Currituck Lighthouse located in Corolla. The Currituck lighthouse was built in 1875, and it unique red brick exterior makes it stand out amongst its four fellow lighthouses. It is one of two lighthouses that you can climb to the top to witness a breathtaking view of Corolla. The property consists of the lighthouse and the keeper's house, both now museums.

As you head south, the next stop on the tour is the Bodie Lighthouse, located in Nags Head in the very northern section of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The black and white striped Bodie tower was built in 1872, and was the third one constructed. Bodie was originally built to point sailors to where the entrance of Oregon Inlet was located; however, with the inlet's migration southward, the lighthouse now stands almost four miles from the entrance it was supposed to mark.

The next stop on our tour, as we continue south on Route 12, is a stop in Rodanthe at the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station. Originally built in 1874 as one of the twelve original lifesaving stations in North Carolina, its mission was to aid ships in distress off the treacherous waters of the Outer Banks. It was one of twelve original lifesaving stations in North Carolina, placed at seven mile increments as part of the United States Life Saving Service, a forerunner to the U.S. Coast Guards. These dedicated men risked their lives for the cause, and as one was quoted as saying, “The book says you have to go out. It don’t say nothing about coming back.” The Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station is the best preserved of the original twelve stations.

The next stop on our tour is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton, the most famous of the lighthouses on the Outer Banks. Built in 1872, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is perhaps the most recognized lighthouse in North America. The current vertical striped tower is actually the second tower, the original built in 1803. The 2800 ton lighthouse was actually moved 0n July 9, 1999 southwest 2500 feet from its original location. The arduous 268 step climb is worth every step to the top to witness the breathtaking views overlooking the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Next stop on our journey south is the Village of Hatteras and the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. Opened in 2002 while work continued through 2007, the museum will pull the whole Outer Banks maritime story together. The museum’s mission is to catalogue the role the waters off the Outer Banks played in maritime history with particular emphasis on the period of time from 1524 through 1945.

Last stop, Ocracoke Lighthouse, but this will take a ferry ride from Hatteras to Ocracoke. Rest assured, it is worth the trip. Built in 1823, it is the oldest operating lighthouse on the North Carolina Coast. The original lighthouse was built in 1803, but was destroyed by lightning in 1818 to be replaced with the current structure.

And so ends our tour, a long day (or two) to be sure but one that will give you a greater appreciation of the rich history of the Outer Banks. To find out more about each of the sights listed above

, follow the links to the sightseeing page on Outer Banks Revealed.com.

Article Tags: Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station, Outer Banks, Chicamacomico Lifesaving, Lifesaving Station, Next Stop, Cape Hatteras

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dan Spaventa and his family have been vacationing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina since 1991. The family instantly feel in love with the Outer Banks and consider it a second home. The Spaventa family owns two rental properties in the Outer Banks, one purchased in 2002 and the other built in 2006. Through the process, Dan has made many friends with people who live on the Outer Banks, and who have shared an Outer Banks not readily seen by the average vacationer.

At the beginning of 2009, Dan decided to build a website, called Outer Banks Revealed, to share the Outer Banks that he and his family have come to realize. In addition to writing much of the content, Dan was also able to get some of the people who has has met and befriended to share some of their stories and love for the Outer Banks. You will find the realization of this at Outer Banks Revealed.