Bald Head Island Lighthouse<\/a>, also known as Old Baldy, is the oldest standing lighthouse in North Carolina. It’s actually been a part of the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOld Baldy is located on Bald Head Island, which is only accessible by ferry. When you arrive, we recommend renting a golf cart or bicycle to get the whole experience of the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This beautiful light station was built to replace North Carolina’s first-ever lighthouse. It offers deep history and fantastic views. While you can’t climb all the way to the top, you can go up about 100 steps, which is great for those looking for a more moderate climb than the other lighthouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be sure to check out the Smith Island Museum of History inside the keeper’s cottage at the Old Baldy Lighthouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Still curious about North Carolina lighthouses? Want to learn a little more history? Let’s get some answers to common questions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is the oldest lighthouse in NC?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bald Head Island Lighthouse, commonly known as Old Baldy Lighthouse, is North Carolina’s oldest light station. It’s been standing for over 200 years, and it’s still in its oldest form!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Old Baldy Lighthouse was built in 1817 and was covered in white stucco. Long ago, the lighthouse keeper would whitewash it every couple of years to protect the stucco. Over time, the lighthouse was patched up with different types of stucco. Today, it looks like a patchwork of various stuccos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can travel Baldy Lighthouse on Bald Head Island via ferry and climb 100 steps up for stunning views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is the newest lighthouse in NC?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Oak Island Lighthouse is the newest lighthouse in North Carolina. It was finished being built in 1958 at 169 feet above the water. The structure itself is 153 feet tall and stands on a slight rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which North Carolina lighthouses can you climb?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You can climb Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Cape Lookout Lighthouse, and Oak Island Lighthouse all the way to the top. While you can’t climb to the top of Bald Head Lighthouse, you can go up about 100 steps for picturesque views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: <\/strong>You can’t climb Ocracoke Island Lighthouse, but you can explore the grounds. It makes for a great photo op!<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich NC lighthouse is the tallest?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest in North Carolina and the tallest brick lighthouse in the world. It stands at about 210-feet tall and has 257 stairs to the top for picture-perfect views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How many lighthouses are on Outer Banks?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There are 5 lighthouses in the Outer Banks, the chain of barrier islands that run along North Carolina’s eastern coast. The 5 lighthouses found on the Outer Banks are Currituck Lighthouse, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Cape Lookout Lighthouse, and Ocracoke Lighthouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How many types of lighthouses are there?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There are two types of lighthouses: ones that sit on land and ones that are offshore. A land lighthouse helps with navigation over land, while an offshore lighthouse helps ships navigate waters, especially rougher water areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enjoy Visiting North Carolina Lighthouses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
These historical lighthouses offer stunning views of North Carolina’s shoreline. Whether you’re looking to lighthouse hop or visit just one or two, we highly recommend the experience! It’s a great way to get a look into the East Coast’s history and appreciate the scenery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re interested in other adventures on the United States east coast, check out these beaches<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"North Carolina’s coastline is more than 300 miles long, and it’s stunning! Along several beaches in NC, you’ll…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1065,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1062"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}