Visit This Nation's Most Beautiful and Most Unpopulated Beach - Ocracoke Island

Relative to where one might live in the United States you may well have never heard of North Carolina's Outer Banks and in particular the tiny island at the southern most tip of the outer banks called Ocracoke.

The outer banks of North Carolina consists of a narrow line of barrier islands perilously perched a few miles off the mainland. These barrier islands suffer the periodic ravages of category 4 and 5 hurricanes, but residents and summer visitors alike share the common belief that the beauty of the islands which includes the rare sight of huge, natural sand dunes boarding on uncrowded, white, sandy beaches and where one can frequently see schools of dolphins parading just off shore well worth the inconvenience of the infrequent summer hurricane threat.

The outer banks may be accessed from the North Carolina mainland by following U.S. 64 East from Raleigh, N.C. Entry onto the outer banks is just south of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, the point from which the Wright Brother's first successful flight originated. A monument and small museum here, commemorates the historical event.

State route 12 is the primary (only) highway running the length of the outer banks.

Following route 12 south from Nags Head one passes through the Pea Island nature refuge and onto Hatteras island home of the famous Hatteras lighthouse, said to be the tallest brick lighthouse in the nation. From the southern tip of Hatteras island one can take a state ferry over to Ocracoke island, the southern most populated island of the outer banks.

Departing the ferry onto Ocracoke island is much like arriving in a different, almost foreign, world. The last few miles of state route 12 stretch out before you, but with the exception of the ferry landing station there is nothing in sight except for rolling dunes, white sand, and a coral blue ocean breaking as snowy white foam onto quarter mile wide beaches.