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| Currituck Beach Lighthouse © Katrena |
The Outer Banks of North Carolina offers three lighthouses in which the public is invited to climb. Our family opted to travel north from Kill Devil Hills toward Corolla to see the Currituck Beach Light Station. Travel north on highway 158 and take highway 12 north toward Duck and Corolla. You'll see the Currituck Heritage Park sign on the left about 20 miles after turning off highway 158. Along the way, we saw a LOT of people riding bikes along bike routes beside highway 12. My family couldn't help but smile when we passed Timbuck II to get to this location.
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| Lighthouse on NC Outer Banks © Katrena |
This lighthouse is unpainted red brick, the last brick lighthouse built on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My grandfather was a brick mason and built many homes in Southwestern Virginia. Mom mentioned that she bet he would have enjoyed building it! The lighthouse reaches 162 feet high to the roof and contains approximately 1 million bricks. It is located between Bodie Lighthouse to the south and Cape Henry Lighthouse to the north.
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| View of Currituck Lighthouse from Currituck Heritage Park Area © Katrena |
The lighthouse became a beacon to help guide sailors on December 1, 1875 and still shines every night on a 20-second cycle that can be seen 18 nautical miles. Today everything is automated; however, years ago, every two and a half hours, the lighthouse keeper had to hand crank lines with suspended weights that worked similar to a grandfather clock. Many hours and funds have been put into restoring the lighthouse by a non-profit group Outer Banks Conservationists. The lighthouse was open to the public on July 1, 1990. I'm so glad the group took an interest into restoring this amazing piece of history!
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| View of Currituck Lighthouse Keepers House (on left) from Lighthouse © Katrena |
If you wish to climb the lighthouse, I would highly recommend planning this trip early in the morning if weather forecasts indicate hot temperatures. This lighthouse has some different rules when compared to some of the other lighthouses in the area. I believe other area lighthouses require a minimum height to climb, but I did see some people carrying little ones when climbing Currituck. If you have little ones in your group, you might want to research height restrictions if they are wanting to climb a lighthouse before reaching your destination only to be disappointed.
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| View of Inside of Lighthouse from the Top © Katrena |
The lighthouse contains 220 steps, but the steps in this lighthouse are a little different than some other lighthouses I have climbed. Landings and windows are located every so often along the way so visitors can look at the lower views and read information about the lighthouse and the area. Some fans were set up on those landings as well, which can help if it is getting hot. No lighthouses that I have climbed have been air conditioned - a true testament to those committed souls who climbed them on a regular basis to help protect those on the sea.
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| Northeast View from Corolla Lighthouse © Katrena |
Visitors are charged a fee to climb the lighthouse. When we visited, the fee to climb was $10/person; children aged 7 and younger could climb free with a paying adult. We arrived fairly early in the morning with a 30-minute wait. The winds can be brisk at the top; it is wise to remove hats or other items that might blow off before walking out onto the balcony. The panoramic view from the top of the lighthouse is breathtaking. You can see the Atlantic Ocean toward the east, Currituck Sound to the west, and nearby portions of the Outer Banks to the north and south. The Atlantic side and southern direction were much more densely populated than the Sound side and to the north. We hoped we might see a pony in the northern Corolla area, but we could not see any on the day we visited.
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| View of Currituck Heritage Park from Lighthouse © Katrena |
The lighthouse keeper's house was still under renovation when we visited. There is a small gift shop near the base of the lighthouse. Visitors can peek at a nearby privy and enjoy seeing seasonal flowers. Several other buildings are located in the Currituck Heritage Park, and you might find a great breeze on the pier with the gazebo that is next to the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education.
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| Northwestern View from Currituck Lighthouse © Katrena |
Visit the
official web site of Currituck Beach Lighthouse for hours of operation, rules for climbing, current fees, and more.
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| Southeastern View from Currituck Lighthouse © Katrena |
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