National Park Service Outer Banks Programs

The National Park Service Outer Banks summer programs have been announced and our team has put together a list of all upcoming events. The events and educational programs take place from Kill Devil Hills to Ocracoke.

National Park Service Outer Banks Programs by area:

Bodie Island

Bodie Island Visitors Center

• The Bodie Island Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Bodie Island Educational Programs

Lighting the Way for 150 Years – Bodie Island Lighthouse

• Dates: Daily from 11-11:30 a.m.
• Details: Discuss the details and history of this beautiful sentinel.

Shaping These Barrier Islands

• Dates: Daily from 2:30-3 p.m.
• Details: Wars, hurricanes, winds and ocean currents have all had impacts on the shores of Cape Hatteras. Learn about some of these events and the changes they have made to the barrier islands.

Crabbing with a Ranger

• Dates: Tuesdays and Fridays from 9-10:30 a.m.
• Details: Ever wanted to try your hand at catching blue crabs? Rangers bring the gear, you bring the bait. Call 252-966-1761 to pre-register beginning the Saturday prior to the program. There is a six-minute walk to get from meeting location to the program location.

Bodie Island Lighthouse Climbing

• Dates: Daily with first climb at 9 a.m. and final climb at 5:40 p.m.
• Details: Climbing tickets are available only on the day of intended climb. Buy tickets here. (tickets are available to purchase online beginning at 7 a.m. daily; tickets cannot be purchased in person).

Cape Hatteras

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

• The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is not open; however, the grounds outside the lighthouse are open 24/7.

Museum of the Sea

• The Museum of the Sea, located across from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, is open daily from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Cape Hatteras Educational Programs

Lighting the Way for Over 150 years

• Dates: Daily from 11-11:30 a.m.
• Details: Discuss the details and history of this beautiful sentinel and learn about restoration efforts.

Shaping These Barrier Islands

• Dates: Daily from 2:30-3 p.m.
• Details: Wars, hurricanes, winds and ocean currents have all had impacts on the shores of Cape Hatteras. Learn about some of these events and the changes they have made to these islands.

Totally Turtles

• Dates: Monday-Friday from 12-12:30 p.m.
• Details: Learn about sea turtles through interactive games and activities for all ages.

Kayak with a Ranger

• Dates: Mondays and Thursdays from 8:30-10:30 a.m.
• Details: Join a ranger to explore salt marshes and surrounding waters of the Pamlico Sound on this easy kayak program. Minimum age is 7. All equipment is provided. To register, you must call 252-513-2457 beginning the Saturday prior to the program.

Hatteras Light at Night

• Dates: Tuesdays from 9-9:45 p.m. (First program TONIGHT)
• Details: Bring blankets and chairs for the evening of stars and stories on the grounds of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Surf Fish with a Ranger

• Dates: Wednesdays from 8:30-10 a.m.
• Details: Ever wanted to try your hand at surf fishing? Park Rangers bring the rods, you bring the bait. Call 252-513-2457 to pre-register beginning the Saturday prior to the program.

Old Days at the Weather Station

• Dates: Every other Wednesday from 2:30-3 p.m. (beginning July 12)
• Details: Come explore the historic U.S. Weather Bureau Station and hear amazing stories that intertwine with our own lives and major historic events.

Soundside Explorers

• Dates: Fridays from 9:30-11 a.m.
• Details: Join a Ranger for this activity-based exploration of the Pamlico Sound. Registration is required. Call 252-513-2457 to pre-register beginning the Saturday prior to the program.

Ocracoke

Ocracoke Lighthouse

• The base of the Ocracoke Lighthouse is open for viewing daily from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Ocracoke Island Discovery Center

• The Ocracoke Island Discovery Center is open daily from 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Ocracoke Educational Programs

Bird Walk

• Dates: Tuesdays from 8:30-9:30 a.m.
• Details: An introduction to the birds of Ocracoke. Meet winged residents and those traveling the Atlantic Flyway. Binoculars are available.

Banker Ponies

• Dates: Wednesdays (start date and time to be determined-check website for updates)
• Details: Come meet the ponies who once roamed as a wild herd and learn about their living history on Ocracoke Island.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Fort Raleigh Visitor Center

• Fort Raleigh National Historic Site’s Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Fort Raleigh Educational Programs

Lost Colony Walking Tour

• Dates: Daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Details: Delve into the history and mystery surrounding England’s first attempt to establish a colony in the new world.

Forgotten Colony

• Dates: Daily at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
• Details: During the American Civil War, Roanoke Island became a haven for formerly enslaved people. Discover the successes and failures of the Freedmen’s Colony and the Civil War battle that shaped it.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitors Center

• The Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wind and Sand

• Dates: Daily at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Location: Meet outside the back doors of the visitor center
• Details: Step back in history during this short walk to the actual site of the first powered flights. Discover why the Wright brothers chose Kitty Hawk for their flight experiments and what life was like on the Outer Banks.

Wright Legacy

• Dates: Daily at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
• Location: Meet at the tent across the parking lot from the Visitor Center.
• Details: Twelve seconds was all the Wright brothers needed on Dec. 17, 1903, to show the world humans can fly. Those twelve seconds were just the start of aviation history and the Wright legacy. Explore the rest of the Wright story as you discover the impact that Wilbur and Orville had on history, the legacy they left behind and how they are remembered in the world today.