Ocracoke Island

Ocracoke Island is located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, part of NC Highway 12.  It is approximately 15 miles long.  The northern most 12 miles are beaches, that have been dubbed #1 Beach in the US, by Doctor Beach.  Ocracoke Island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  Exept for the village proper, the entire island is owned by the US National Park Service.

Midway down the beach can be found the Pony Pasture, kept up by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  The Park Service has provided a parking area and access to view the once wild and free ranging ponies.  They are thought to be descended from horses that swam ashore from shipwrecked vessels.  The life-saving service and later the Coast Guard utilized the stock to patrol the beaches in the early 20th century.  Later they were cared for and used by the Boy Scouts, one of the only mounted troops in the country.  In 1959 not long after the completion of Highway 12, the horses were placed into an 180-acre pen, to protect them from the ever growing surge of tourist traffic.

For a news story about Ocracoke's Mounted Boyscouts:  http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/video/5421389/

Access to Ocracoke can only be gained by private boat, plane or the NCDOT Ferry service, that links up Highway 12.

For a schedule of the NCDOT Ferrys:  http://www.ncdot.gov/_templates/download/external.html?pdf=http%3A//www.ncdot.gov/download/transit/ferry/ferryschedule.pdf

Reservations are recommended for the Toll Ferries to insure place on board.  These reservations must be claimed at least 30 minutes prior to departure time.  Ferry schedules can change without notice due to emergency situations, mechanical problems or inclimate weather.

For more information about fares, schedules and reservations please call:

1-800-BY FERRY

Once on Ocracoke Island vehicles are required to share the road with pedestrians and cyclists.  Visitors are encouraged to park and walk or rent bikes.  Pedestrians are to stay off the road, where possible.  Bicycles are vehicles so please ride on the righthand median as is the law.

The speed limit in the village is 20-25 MPH.  Be prepared to slow down when entering the village proper.