National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Cape Lookout National Park Service Site Name Goes Here CapeU.S. Department Lookout National of the SeashoreInterior Complete site name here Second line, if necessary Third line, if necessary

Wind, Waves, Storms, and Sand Cape Lookout National Seashore is made of a long, thin stretch of Barrier islands also help barrier islands. These islands change all the time. Wind and waves protect the mainland from move sand down beaches and across islands. This changes the storms. When a storm hits shape and size of the islands. a barrier island, it slows Barrier Islands down. That means the storm is not as strong when it hits the mainland so it is not as dangerous for the people who live on the mainland. Hurricane Irene (2011) Life on Barrier Islands Plants Only a few types of plants can live People The Coree (core-ee), a tribe of Native Americans, once in this area. A hot sun, sandy soil, and strong lived in this area. They lived on Core Banks in the fall and winter. winds make it hard for plants to survive. Dune That is the best time of year to hunt and to catch large fi sh. They grasses are the most important plants. This lived on the mainland the rest of the year. grass is not like grass in a backyard. This grass has very long roots which help trap sand and Other people have lived in Portsmouth Village, hold the island together. on , and near the lighthouse. Sea Oats Many of these people made money by catching In some places in the park, the dunes grow tall enough to protect fi sh or whales. Others helped take food, trees from the salty ocean. The largest forest in the park is on clothes, and other items off of large ships and Shackleford Banks. Wildfl owers and marsh grasses also grow in put them on small boats. These boats took the some parts of the park. Fisherman goods to people on the mainland.

Animals Many animals live in the park or in the water around the park. Sea turtles and shore birds build their nests on the beach. More than one hundred wild horses live on Ghost Crab Seashells Shackleford Banks. People also come here to go bird watching. Herons, egrets, terns, ducks, and pelicans can all be seen here. River otters, raccoons, lizards, tree frogs, fi sh, dolphins, whales, and seashells also live in this area. Great Egret Wild Horses Sea Turtle Hatchling

Explore. Learn. Protect For More Information Are you looking for something fun to do in the park? Ask a ranger for a Junior Ranger or Junior Ranger Adventures Write to: book. Find clues in the park and solve the puzzles in your Cape Lookout National Seashore book. When you fi nish the book, bring it back to the 131 Charles Street Visitor Center to get your award. Harkers Island, NC 28531

Call: 252-728-2250 WebRangers is an online Junior Ranger program. You can play more than fi fty free games and puzzles. Just log on to Go Online: www.nps.gov/calo this website: www.nps.gov/webrangers Exploring Cape Lookout

Visiting the Park The Harkers Island Visitor Center is open most of the year. It is What to Bring: Bring a hat and wear sunscreen to protect yourself only closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day. There are two from sunburn. Bring plenty of bug spray to keep the mosquitoes, other visitor centers: the Light Station Visitor Center, near the ticks, and biting fl ies away. Make sure to bring water, lunch, and lighthouse, and the Theodore and Annie Salter House and Visitor snacks, too. Center, in Portsmouth Village. These visitor centers are open in the spring, summer, and fall. Pets are allowed in the park as long as they stay on a leash. This rule is for your pet’s safety as well as the safety of the park wildlife. There are no roads or bridges that go to the barrier islands. The only way to get there is to ride a ferry or a private boat. Make Swimming Safety: There are no lifeguards at the beaches in this sure you bring all the food, water, and supplies you need with park. Never swim alone or without permission from an adult. you. There are no stores on the islands. Take all your trash with Always stay where an adult can see you. If you get caught in a rip you when you leave the park. Help keep the seashore clean for the current, do not panic. Swim to the side to get out of the current animals that live here and people that visit. before you try to swim back to the shore.

OCRACOKE 12 VIRGINIA

North NORTH CAROLINA Ocracoke 17 HYDE COUNTY Lighthouse 95 CARTERET COUNTY 158

Ferry Passenger

64 Raleigh PORTSMOUTH VILLAGE Ocracoke National Seashore Cape 0 5 Kilometers 70 (Historic) Inlet 264 Hatteras Goldsboro National Open seasonally New Seashore 0 5 Miles Bern 12 Tidal flats may flood Morehead quickly at high tide City 12 depending upon winds 70 Cape Lookout TIDAL FLATS and seasons. Jacksonville National Seashore 24 Otway Beaufort Visitor Center 17 CAPE LOOKOUT

Vehicle Ferry

(North Carolina State Ferry)

PAMLICO COUNTY CARTERET COUNTY

Cedar Island

SOUND Cedar Island Bay Roe

CORE WEST BAY Lola NORTH CORE BANKS

Cedar Island ry Long Point Cabin Area National Wildlife Refuge e r F e Open seasonally 12 l ic h e V Old

Long Bay

Atlantic

70 Ophelia Inlet

Sealevel South Masontown River

Stacy OUND

S

A T L A N T I C O C E A N

R A L E I G H B A Y CORE Great Island Cabin Area Vehicle Davis Open seasonally Williston Ferry

70

Otway Smyrna

Marshallberg North River SOUTH CORE BANKS Map Legend Core 101 Creek Gloucester Natural areas within Straits Browns Water depths 70 Cape Lookout NS Island Visitor Center Harkers Island Park Headquarters 0-6 feet Shell Pt Maritime forest (0-2 meters) Passenger ferry landing Newport River Barden BEAUFORTT BACK SOUND Beach and More than grassland 6 feet (2 meters) MOREHEAD Inlet Light Station Visitor Center, CITY Beaufort Lookout Big Keepers’ Quarters Museum, Marshland ht SHACKLEFORD Jetty and Lighthouse open seasonally 70 58 Inlet BANKS CAPE LOOKOUT Tidal flat Toll ferry ATLANTIC Fort Macon ONSLOW BA Y Point of Cape Lookout Village BEACH State Park Cape Lookout (Historic)