Naturally Ocracoke

We need the tonic of wilderness. We can never have enough of nature. – Henry David Thoreau

Why do we love Ocracoke Island so much? While there are many reasons to love this tiny island, one of its most alluring aspects is its abundance of ways to connect to nature. Surrounded by Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound, the 16-mile-long barrier island consists of beach, maritime forest, sound, salt marsh and estuary ecosystems and so many ways to explore them.

We all instinctively sense that spending time in nature is a recipe for happiness, and now scientists are proving it. According to Greater Good Magazine of University of California at Berkeley, “Over 100 studies have shown that being in nature … has positive impacts on our brains, bodies, feelings, thought processes and social interactions.” Even just viewing nature produces positive emotions, calms our nervous systems and helps us cultivate creativity, connection, generosity and resilience.

This comes naturally on Ocracoke Island. The whole island operates at a slower pace, and there’s plenty of time and opportunity to be outside. Whether you’re sitting on a screened porch listening to songbirds, napping in a hammock under a live oak or riding a wave in the Atlantic, you’re never far from the cascade of positive emotions that nature brings.

Let’s explore the options for experiencing the natural side of Ocracoke, guided by the words of Henry David Thoreau, who we think would have loved this beautiful place and its slower pace.

The Beach

When I sit here by the sea and listen to the sound of waves, I feel free from all obligations and people of this world. – HDT

Ocracoke Island’s 15-mile-long beach is extra special because, thanks to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, it is undeveloped. That’s right, not a house or hotel in sight – just the super-calming sand, waves, shells and birds.

Whether you walk on or drive on (with a NPS ORV permit), you can find a stretch of this pristine beach to yourself. Favorite activities are walking, sunbathing, sandcastle building, shelling and beachcombing, swimming, surfing, body boarding, skimboarding, surf fishing and staring blankly at the horizon. Nothing beats a sunrise walk on the Ocracoke beach and being the first to see what the ocean washed in overnight. As Thoreau once wrote: “An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”

Springer’s Point Nature Preserve, Hammock Hills Nature Trail

I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees. – HDT

Ocracoke Island’s quiet maritime forest habitat is a surprise for many people. A few shady pockets of the island are dense with live oaks, cedars and pines. Hammock Hills Nature Trail offers a short walk through the forest and opens up to a beautiful view of the sound. You might see wading birds, songbirds, raptors, fiddler crabs, frogs, anoles and other creatures. You’ll find the trailhead on N.C. Highway 12 across from the NPS Campground. (Note that portions of Hammock Hills trail were damaged in Hurricane Dorian and are under repair, but there is still a lot to explore.) Springer’s Point Nature Preserve is a respite of live oak and red cedar in the midst of the village. The .8-mile trail stretches through forest and salt marsh and ends at a sandy beach on the sound, a nice calm place for swimming with small children. Birds of all sorts and a wide variety of plants are highlights here. You’ll find the trailhead on Loop Road, past Ocracoke Lighthouse.

Pamlico Sound

Open all your pores and bathe in all the tides of nature, in all her streams and oceans, at all seasons. – HDT

A vast expanse of brackish water, Pamlico Sound separates Ocracoke Island from the mainland. These waters are teeming with life, including bird life and much of the local seafood we eat. Calmer and shallower than the ocean, the sound is a playground for activities like boating, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, standup paddleboarding, swimming, waterfowl hunting, fishing, clamming and shrimping. On the shoreline of the sound you can find sandy beaches with calm waters, perfect for swimming and sunset watching. Great locations to access the sound are Devils Shoals Road (across from the NPS campground and no ORV permit needed) and the Bitterswash Creek parking area north of the Pony Pens.

Portsmouth Island

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. – HDT

Those seeking the ultimate isolation can escape for the day to Portsmouth Island. It’s just a quick 20-minute boat ride away, but it feels like the end of the earth. Once inhabited but no longer so, Portsmouth offers a long, lonely stretch of beach with some of the best shelling in the state, incredible birding and a “ghost town” of buildings to explore. Ferry services offer trips to Ports - mouth from Ocracoke village.

Fishing

Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after. – HDT

Whether you catch something or not, fishing is always a liberating foray into nature. Around Ocracoke Island there are opportunities for surf fishing on the beach, inshore fishing in the sound and inlet and offshore fishing in the Gulf Stream. In the surf you might catch spot, pompano or sea mullet. In the sound you might catch drum, trout or flounder. Offshore you might catch a tuna, wahoo or marlin. Regardless, deep connection with the water, birds and creatures comes with the territory.

So Much More Beauty

Live each season as it passes, breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit and resign yourself to the influence of the earth. – HDT

There are so many more ways to experience the beauty of Ocracoke. On the dark Ocracoke beaches at night, the multitude of stars you can see is staggering, and the National Park Service offers occasional stargazing programs. Birdwatching is a popular activity, whether you’re officially a birder or just someone who likes watching the pelicans and gulls in the harbor. Visiting the Ocracoke Pony Pens offers a chance to quietly watch the local herd grazing. Biking around the village and on the bike path is a wind-in-your-face thrill in which you can notice more details than you would in a car. Camping, especially in a tent at the beachside National Park Service Campground, provides the ultimate connection to the elements. The NPS Campground opens for the season on April 10 (reserve your spot at recreation.gov). Eating the local seafood and the locally grown foods, like the famous figs, are other ways to fully taste Ocracoke.

Ocracoke Is Open!

To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of the arts. – HDT

There’s more to Ocracoke than the great outdoors! Shops, restaurants, watersports and recreational activities and accommodations are open and welcoming visitors. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll have a great time in Ocracoke!

Ocracoke Island — Start planning your trip today!
visitocracokenc.com