Winter can be a good season to spot migrating cormorants at Cape Lookout National Seashore, but there are lots of other things to do, too/NPS
Summer's warm temps might be gone, but there is still lots to do at Cape Lookout National Seashore on the North Carolina coast. Here's a look at some ranger-led programs on the calendar.
Half-Day Event
Horse Sense and Survival Tour ' Saturday, November 15 & Saturday, November 22 ' Reservations required, fee for ferry transportation
The wild horses of Shackleford Banks are fascinating to observe but may be difficult to find. Join a Ranger for a half-day walking trip to find horses and watch their behavior. The park will arrange transportation by local ferries; there will be a charge for this ride. If you have your own boat, call the park for reservations and meeting locations. There is no charge for the walking program. Call (252) 728-2250 for reservations, more information on the program, ferry costs and other information.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse Area
The Light Station Visitor Center and the Keepers' Quarters Museum are located near the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. The lighthouse area is reached by boat. The Light Station Visitor Center and the Keepers' Quarters Museum are closed.
Lighting the Way (15 minutes) 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Lighthouse keepers played a very important role in protecting the coast. Come learn what life was like for them and what they had to do to keep the light in the Cape Lookout Lighthouse burning. Meet on the porch of the Keepers' Quarters Museum, by the lighthouse.
Ribbon of Sand (film) (16 minutes)
Travel through the Cape Lookout ecosystem, from the sound side marshes and estuaries to the protective line of islands of the Outer Banks and the ocean depths beyond. For your convenience, this film is open-captioned. Shown in the Keepers' Quarters Museum upon request.
Harkers Island
The National Park Service Visitor Center and the Ferry Gateway to Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Shackleford Banks is located at 1800 Island Road, Harkers Island, North Carolina, and is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. ' 5 p.m. all year. Holiday hours: closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Nature trails and picnic areas are open seven days a week during daylight hours.
Ribbon of Sand (film) (26 minutes)
Travel through the Cape Lookout ecosystem, from the sound-side marshes and estuaries to the protective line of islands of the Outer Banks and the ocean depths beyond. The film is shown upon request. For your convenience, this film is open-captioned, audio described, and assistive listening devices are available.
Sound-Side Nature Trail ' 4/5-mile self-guided nature trail
This loop trail winds along the eastern shore of Harkers Island through maritime forest and saltmarsh and features a boardwalk and observation deck overlooking Core Sound. You can stand on the edge of land and sea and imagine the forces that shape Harkers Island and her people.
- Willow Pond Nature Trail ' 1/3-mile self-guided nature trail
The loop trail winds around a restored freshwater pond with gorgeous views of wetland habitats and maritime hardwoods. The trail guide is available at the Core Sound Museum; the trail starts behind the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center.
Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center is located at 1785 Island Road, Harkers Island, North Carolina, 28531. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Holiday hours: closed Thanksgiving Day, closed December 24-26 and January 1. Call 252-728-1500 or visit www.coresound.com for more information.
Other Offerings
- Boy and Girl Scout Resource Stewardship Ranger Program ' Scouts can learn about the park and volunteer to do a service project while developing a sense of pride and stewardship for the nation's national park resources. Scouts attend educational programs and performfive hours of service for an attractive Scout Ranger Certificate and ten hours of service for a Scout Ranger Certificate and Patch. Check the information on the web.
- Cell phone tours ' Learn more about the park before, during or after your visit with ranger-narrated tours for your cell phone or smart phone. The tours are free; however, normal cell phone minutes and data rates will apply. Call (252) 838-7052 and select a stop number on a specific tour to hear a brief story. Available tours:
- Orientation to Cape Lookout National Seashore: stops 100 ' 107
- Harkers Island Nature Trails: stops 201 - 210
- Cape Lookout Light Station: stops 501-511
- Portsmouth Village: stops 940-950
- Junior Rangers and Junior Ranger Adventures ' A fun way to explore the park is to become a Junior Ranger. The Junior Ranger program is designed for ages 5 to 13 but everyone is welcome to participate. There are six different booklets and awards in the Junior Ranger and Junior Ranger Adventures programs: collect them all. Kids can also earn a Junior Ranger Patch by completing a booklet, watching the park movie, and attending a ranger or volunteer guided program. Be sure to have them sign your patch program sheet. Junior Ranger booklets are available at the Harkers Island Visitor Center, Beaufort Visitor Center, the Light Station Visitor Center, Great Island Cabin Office, Long Point Cabin Office and at Portsmouth Village.
Ask park staff about their 'by request' programs - these include Scouting Programs, Nature Trail Hikes, and programs on lighthouse keepers, wild horses and sea turtles. Call (252) 728 -2250, extension 3001 for more information.
Comments
Be sure to let the rangers and park staff know that you don't support the proposed unprecedented new restrictions on public access. These restrictions will economicly hurt the local communities and merely implement unnecessary regulations.
Total assumption, visitation has been dropping at Lookout anyway. Neither the local congressman nor Beach know what or if these restrictions will have any affect on the local economy. This is just something else for him to grind his anti government ax on.
Beautiful photo, love the changing of the seasons here and the migratory birds that show up this time of year.
Lookout is difficult to get to but well worth it anytime of the year, and will continue to be.
Beware: that for some unknown reason despite having an excess of NPS enforcement staff the Cape lookout is closed 3 months of the year.
Beware: that many of the draconian NPS regulations from Cape Hatteras are about to be applied at CALO without regard of the public comments aginst them.
Beware: A significant user fee for Off Road vehicles is coming to CALO
BEWARE: NPS and DOI will continue to fix things until they are broken. Ask those that watched this happen at Cape Hatteras.......... www.ncbba.org
Buxton, I think it's an assumption shared by the majority and based on the proposed $80 access fee. Do you think having to pay this fee would encourage more visitors?
I can't say for others but for me a once a year $80 fee would not deter me if I wanted to take my vehicle there.
Shared by a majority "of your friends". If you only talk with people who agree with you - not a bad assumption, considering your short shrift for those who disagree with you - then it will seem to be a majority of the world.
Buxton, visitation has dropped off because of the new resource closures. There is less beach to visit for pedestrians and ORVs. The new plan will increase the size and time of these closures as well. As we have seen in CHNSRA, more closures equals less visitors.
Rick, one of my friends runs a ferry service to the island and I trust thier opinion on the resulting affects of the new management plan and fees. Unless congress can bring some common sense to the NPS's plan for CALO, they plan on closing down thier service by 2016.
Dumb -
Until you can bring some balance and shades of grey to your postings about the NPS, then everything you say is flavored by your partisanship.
Not everything is wonderful, not everything is terrible.