Ocracoke 

Once the favorite hiding place of Blackbeard the Pirate, Ocracoke Island is a remote outpost accessible by ferry from Hatteras Village. This 16 mile long island was once a busy fishing hub and still retains its small village atmosphere. The village of Ocracoke was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 and includes the 1823 Ocracoke Lighthouse as well as several historic commercial buildings and dozens of unique shops. In 2006, Ocracoke’s pristine beaches were once again named one of the “Top 10 Beaches” in the country by USA Today. In 2007, Ocracoke was ranked as the #1 beach in the United States by Dr. Beach -- breaking a decade long trend of awarding the top spot to a Hawaii or Florida beach!  

Ocracoke was established as a port in 1715, however, pirates made peaceful commerce almost impossible along the North Carolina coast. The most notorious pirate of the day was Edward Teach, or Blackbeard. In November 1718, Blackbeard was captured near Ocracoke by Lt. Robert Maynard of the British Navy. Commanding a sloop sent by the Governor of Virginia, he killed the pirate in a bloody duel and captured the crewman. Blackbeard's death marked the end of large scale piracy on the Atlantic Coast. 

The first lighthouse on Ocracoke was built in 1798 on Shell Castle rock, abreast of the inlet. It was destroyed by lightning in 1818. The present lighthouse, one of the oldest still in use on the Atlantic Coast, was built in 1823. At seventy-five feet, it is the shortest lighthouse on the North Carolina coast and can only be seen for 14 miles. 

For many years wild ponies, numbering up to a thousand, roamed the island. Many legends exist about how the Banker Ponies came to Ocracoke Island. One story credits Spanish explorers De Soto or Cortez as having brought them as they searched for gold on their way to Mississippi and Mexico. Another story suggests that the ship "Black Squall" was carrying a circus troupe and animals when it went through the area during a storm. Historians say the most probable story is that the ponies arrived with Sir Walter Raleigh and were left on Roanoke Island at the time of the mysterious Lost Colony disappearance. As the Outer Banks became more accessible, many ponies were sold. When Cape Hatteras National Seashore was established in 1953, only 12 ponies were in existence. A pen for the ponies was established where they are now kept on a range about 7 miles north of the village.