shackleford banks

I took the ferry out from Harker's Island to the east end of Shackleford Banks when I visited. On their published timetable the ferry only runs to and from east Shackleford a couple times a day, and mainly services Cape Lookout, but I discovered in talking to the staff that they would take me out when I wanted and we made arrangements then for a pickup time at which point they took me over to Cape Lookout for a bit, then I got picked up there and returned to Harker's Island. Very agreeable and convenient. I believe it cost me $25 for that little circuit of three rides, which again, is unofficially available. I spent 7 hours out there, took a lunch and snacks and LOTS of water (a Camelback backpack), and was well prepared for sun.I went alone and from the time I got off the ferry did not see another human my whole day on the island. I did however see dozens of breathtaking wild horses, all day, everywhere I went. When I first arrived early in the morning there were horses along the sound side near where the ferry had dropped me off, so I hiked back to take photos. As I was facing a few horses watching and photographing, three others kind of snuck up behind me from the direction I had come, and when I turned around and noticed them they were no more than 15 feet away. I spent hours with 2-3 different groups of horses all over the eastern end of the island (I did A LOT of walking) and took some awesome photos. They do play on the beach, but were also congregating slightly into the interior eating a lot.These animals are beautiful, and in my experience were quite calm and unafraid. That being said, I did not approach them closer than they approached me. I was alone so I wasn't talking, and I didn't move quickly. And they seemed to not mind my presence at all. I sat down and ate lunch at one point and a mother and foal layed down 15-20 feet away for a nap, and their group of 7-8 companions kept moving closer and closer to me, almost as if I weren't even there.When I was horse and photo exhausted by early afternoon I walked around to the ocean side of the of the island along the beach quite a ways and swam and collected a few shells. I really didn't have an interest in finding large shells as I live near the ocean and don't need shells in particular, but I did find some lovely small ones just my size to take as souvenirs. The swimming was great and refreshing. Although, I am from Nova Scotia and am used to cold, rough water, so me saying it was lovely and warm may not mean much if you are from a southern climate!I walked across the interior of the island to get back to the sound side and it was quite a little hike without any real paths other than those created by the horses, which I would occasionally come on and use. Be careful and watch your step, but not a terrible trek. I kept running into horses everywhere I walked, even when I wasn't looking for them. The day I spent on Shackleford Banks was my favourite in the area. Quiet, peaceful, beautiful, really quite stunning. I highly recommend it, and also would advise you to think about going to the east end via Harker's instead of the west end out of Beaufort if you like the idea of some solitude. Mind you, there are absolutely NO facilities of any kind there. Come prepared.

So I visited Shackleford banks in Oct of 2014 for two days by myself. I took the ferry from Beaufort NC and was on the island for as long as I could be. I am a sheller so that was my main purpose for going. Here in a nutshell was what I learned about the island. The sound side facing the mainland has some shells, beautiful beaches and where privately owned boats will dock to enjoy the beach. The sound side has small shells and medium sized or at least when I was there. The ocean side has the bigger shells I was told. For 2 days I headed straight to the ocean side to shell but came to an abrupt dead end when the beach deadends into a brush and tree section that I could not get around to continue toward what I was told by many others as the beach and place to shell. The waves were too high and I had others warn me not to wade into the water as the current was too strong. So I shelled the sound side but then an hour before I had to depart on my second day I returned to the ocean side close to where the boat drops you off. There with some persistence I did manage to find some big shells - whelks - large in my book ( 8 inches long 6 inches wide) - not so beautiful to others but beautiful to me. Other people were finding big whelks too but you had to be in the water to get them as they rolled in right where the water braked at the shore. I did see the ponies while on the sound side. If you are trying to shell the ocean side but can't because of the trees and brush I was told that if you walk the sound sideall the way down to where the broken off wooden piers are in the water, that path right near there can lead you to the ocean side but I didn't know to try it at the time. I had a wonderful time getting back to nature and this wonderful island, shelling and enjoying Mother Nature. Read the other posts about no food, no services etc and take a warm sweatshirt in case you are cold, water, food, sunscreen and a bag for your shells. I am already planned another trip for April 2015 to go back....enjoy.

I visited a friend in NC and we decided to head out on an overnight kayak trip to Shackleford island. As it was early in the season, we were almost the only people on the island for the 2 days we stayed. The long beaches make for great walks and the seeing quite a few wild horses was definitely a highlight.

We took the ferry out to Shackleford Banks from Beaufort. It was reasonably priced and worth it to get out on a secluded island. We only stayed for a couple of hours, but I easily could have stayed longer. This island is known for wild horses and we unfortunately did not see any. I think we would have needed more time to explore because others on our ferry were able to find them. It was a lot of fun to explore the island and enjoy the peacefulness of a quiet beach area. I would love to return there to explore more and find the horses! Just a warning there is no dock on the island so the boat pulls right up on the sand. Depending on what boat they take you over in it can be challenging for some to get on and off the boat.

What a wonderful treat to see the horses on the shore and swimming in the water. Ask your boat captain where they get the water they drink and where they live. They are such beautiful animals.

During our weeklong visit to Beaufort, we visited Shackleford Banks on three different days, taking the ferry from Beaufort. If you enjoy beach combing, swimming in calm waters (sound side), tracking wild horses or staring at the beautiful Atlantic, then this is the place. The water and sand is beautiful, the shelling is amazing and the wild horses can be elusive (but were waiting for us one day on the sound side). Be prepared if you plan to spend any time on Shackleford Banks - water, sunscreen, a bag for shells, hats and snacks - as there are no services or shelters. God bless the National Park Service for protecting this beautiful barrier island - it is a lovely place to explore if you like getting away from it all.

We took a ferry over to the island and stayed about three hours. We did not see any horses, but I got lots of large sea shells. You must get out in the ocean to find them. One can not take anything that is not alive. Bring a very large bag for your shells. Also bring water, beach towels, sunscreen and bug spray and a trash bag as you have to take back anything you bring. There are no trash cans for toilets. I brought a regular umbrella since there is no shade. Two to Three hours are the most you need to stay unless you bring an umbrella. One group had a tarp they ties to some brush near the edge of the dunes. Smart idea! You can stay overnight if you are the adventurous type. Make reservations and leave early. You will also need to let the ferry service know what time you will be picked you. You can call and change it if you decide to stay longer. The horses hide in the brush, so expect to hike if you want to see them. There are two sides of the island and you might want to do both for a better change to see the horses.

Shackleford Banks is an ideal location if you want to feel like you have miles of beach to yourself. The ferry headquarters are located within Beaufort Town Hall, although you can purchase tickets directly at the booth by the docks. There's also a ferry service running from Harkers Island if you wish to be dropped off on the east side of Shackleford Banks with views of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.The ocean side of Shackleford Banks tends to be less visited than the sound side, meaning you may potentially not see a soul for what appears to be miles of pristine beach. It's a great place for shelling, although the waves can sometimes make swimming difficult. The sound side is better for swimming and snorkeling due to the calmer waters, although that's where most people congregate. But whatever side you choose, you'll be sure to have a wonderful time.

Shells, horses, sand, water. If that's all you want, you will be delighted. The ferry drops you on the sound side. The sound is very calm and great for small children to play in the water. Walk across the dunes to the ocean side, walk along and find some really nice shells. The banks are long enough that the horses can be down on the other end and you'll never see them. Or, you can hike to get to them, but I belive in keeping a distance from them so we didn't work to get too close - better that they're left alone. I read someone's review who wanted people to pick up trash that was left behind by others. I did. But please note that a lot of that trash washes up from the ocean too. A hurricane had just past when I was there, the current and tides where very strong and it was clear that we can do a better job of taking care of our planet. Take EVERYTHING that you may need while you're there (wet wipes, sanitizer, etc.). There are NO facilities of any kind on Shackelford Banks, not to be confused with Cape Lookout - different piece of land that does have facilities.

We went out in March 2014. We took the ferry which is 15 per person. It was a fast ride out to the island. I found my first queen Ann Helmet as I got off the boat! We prefer this time of year for the shelling and quietness...no other people were on this trip. Walking the island was like we were explorers to a new land. The Horses were aware of us from the first and eyed us at a distance but close enough for some great pictures! We found alot of large sunray venus shells,large cockles,heart urchins, mermaid purse's....in all it was a great trip!! I will return!!

My husband and I took the state ferry out to Shackelford island. It costs $15 per person. We sat under an umbrella for four hours watching eight horses meander around the beach. One was a seven week old beautiful tan colored baby. The island has a sound side and a beach side with waves. We swam in the sound and collected whelk and conch shells on the beach. What a gorgeous day!!!! I would go back every day if I could.

I love making trips out to the Shackleford Banks. Is enjoyable to see the islands in a natural state most of the time and the wild horses support the almost unchanged atmosphere. This trip I did experience something very concerning. There were a large number of visitors to the island who failed to recognize that they were visitors. They allowed their children especially the younger ones to run freely around the horses. These horses are wild and very protective of their young. While I also enjoy taking pictures of the horses in their environment, I do it at a distance quietly making sure they can always see me.The parents since they are adults should keep an eye on the children and not let them run up to the horses. This is also true that the adults should keep their distance. There was a potential issue as a young child approached a young colt. The mare took off running towards the colt but luckily stopped before it reached the child.Visitors are very lucky that the horses are used to people so they do feel less threatened. But remember they are wild animals.It was unfortunate that we were there at low tide with a strong wind so we could not anchor away from the groups of people. I enjoy that much more.As long as you are careful and respect the animals I do recommend this trip. If you go, remember to take everything you might need. Take chairs an umbrella or chairs and plenty of bug spray. There are combinations of suntan lotion and bug repellent that work great. Remember to pack it in and pack it out. I did see more trash than usual that people had left on the beach.It does not matter how you get there but do enjoy a beautiful day on at the Shackleford Banks but remember there are wild horses and with that comes other things left on the ground. I would make sure that you wear shoes at all times. There are also beautiful shells that can be collected.Enjoy and leave it as you find it or better!

We visited in 2008 and it was magnificent! The weather was so beautiful. We saw many wild ponies strolling down the beach and on the dunes. We plan to return again soon! You must visit here if you come to the area! Don't forget the mosquito repellent!

When they say uninhabited island, they mean it! This can be a great experience if you bring everything you need--water, food, shade, trash bags, bathroom toiletries, etc. We did see the wild horses, and that was interesting and different. People say the shell collecting is great. We have a one year old, so our visit was basically sand, sweat and tears. Probably will go over better with adult couples or a family with older kids. Ferry ride over from Beaufort was fun and informative.

My family and I spent a weekend in Beaufort and finally made a trip to Shakleford Banks, and boy are we glad we did! We left on the earliest ferry to the island and began our shelling excursion around the right shoulder of the ferry drop. I must have found at minimum, ten to fifteen intact conch shells! Others on our tour came back with buckets! You do needs get in the water at low ride to find the best ones. We took the 9 am ferry and came back on a 12:30 pm ferry.When we were done shelling and swimming, we headed back to the ferry drop to seek out the wild ponies. To our surprise, there was a full herd right in front of us, grazing on the tender marsh grasses. You can get within 50 yards, but no closer or you will be fined. We got some amazing photos of the herd, which included a new colt, and even witnessed the male of the herd chasing off his male progeny to separate him from the herd. They galloped and chased each other within two to three feet of us! It was quite exciting!Tips for when you go: go at low tide for the best shelling, bring water shoes so you can to walk in the water and across the dunes to see the ponies. Wear your swim suit and bring lots of sunscreen of you plan to stay, as there's no shade. Being a camera to take picture of the ponies! Bring something to carry back your shells-they're quite heavy when intact!