Bodie Island Light marks its 150th anniversary this year/NPS

You'll have one, and possibly two, lighthouses to climb at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina this summer. 

The Bodie Island Lighthouse will be open for climbing from Wednesday, April 27, through early fall. A limited climbing season at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse may be possible this summer, but potential dates have not been finalized.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Standing nearly 165 feet tall, the Bodie Island Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the third lighthouse to serve this area. The lighthouse, first lit on Oct. 1, 1872, still possesses its original first order Fresnel lens, and features a flashing pattern of 2.5 seconds on, 2.5 seconds off, 2.5 seconds on and 22.5 seconds off.

A special event to celebrate the Bodie Island Lighthouse’s 150th anniversary is being planned by Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Outer Banks Forever, and the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society. Event details will be announced in the coming months.

Weekly Climbing

Beginning April 27, the Bodie Island Lighthouse will be open for climbing Wednesdays through Saturdays until early fall. A climbing season end date has not been determined. Climbing tickets go on sale at 7 a.m. and may only be purchased on the same day of your intended climb. Tickets are only available for purchase at www.recreation.gov/ticket/252034/ticket/10087143.

Pro tip: Tickets sell out quickly, so create your www.recreation.gov account prior to the date you intend to purchase tickets to save time.

Learn more about climbing lighthouses at https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/lighthouseclimbs.htm.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

A break between phases of restoration project work at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse may allow for a limited climbing season this summer. If a climbing season becomes possible, a separate public announcement will be made in the next couple of months.

Learn more about the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration project at https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/news/cape-hatteras-lighthouse-restoration-project.htm.