Bodie Island Lighthouse

Just south of Nags Head, the Bodie Island Lighthouse as it stands today is the third version built to help mariners maneuver the coast from Cape Hatteras to Currituck Beach. The original Bodie (pronounced “body”) Island Lighthouse was built in 1847, on the south side of Oregon Inlet in an area known today as Pea Island. It was abandoned twelve years later due to a poor foundation and the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1859, again south of the inlet, but wasdestroyed in 1861 by retreating Confederate troops who feared the Union would use it for navigation. The Bodie Island Lighthouse you see today was completed in 1872 on the north side of Oregon Inlet near the northern border of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The familiar black and white horizontal striped structure was partly built of materials leftover from the construction of the newest Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is considered its architectural twin. Bodie Island Light stands 150 feet high and is equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens. Its 160,000 candlepower beacon can be seen 19 miles over the ocean.

Admission: $8 for adults and $4 for seniors (fee is for climbing tour only - grounds are free)

Open From (Hour): 9:00 a.m to 5:45 p.m. April - October