*More photos to come once I get them uploaded from the camera and my wifes phone*
Planning
Miles Round Trip
Total: ~1,100 miles
Hwy: ~1,050 miles (8.5hrs or 500 miles each way)
Beach: ~50 miles (25mph speed limit, some 15mph areas)
Ferry cost: $112 ($80 for Tacoma, $16 per person)
Pets: Alot of freedom for well behaved dogs, we didnt run into any issues with the rangers but were warned of a strict leash law if caught. $50 ticket per infraction.
Sites used for planning:
https://www.nps.gov/calo/index.htm
http://npplan.com/parks-by-state/north-carolina-national-parks/cape-lookout-national-seashore-park-at-a-glance/cape-lookout-national-seashore-the-islands/cape-lookout-national-seashore-south-core-banks/
https://cape-lookout-cabins-camps-ferry-davis-nc.com/cabin-rental-south-core-banks-cape-lookout
For labor day weekend 2018 the wife and I decided to explore the Cape Lookout National Seashore. We started planning about a month prior to the trip to get what we needed in order. Most of the information I got was from the NPS site with a little help from reviews (1 being npplan) and the ferry service site. We booked the ferry 2 weeks in advance, I would make reservations sooner than this since when we booked only a few times were available and they were booking quickly. A simple $50 deposit held out spot on the ferry, which is applied to your total (our total being $112 to get across with the Tacoma, my wife and I, and 2 dogs). I highly recommend the ferry service we used, they were very helpful, polite, and accommodating. I downloaded the ORV education certificate from the NPS site which is all that is needed to drive on the beach at Cape Lookout, you turn this in when you reach the island and get a decal. I also downloaded a map of the Southcore banks from the NPS site, although I didnt reference it during the trip. The ferry service hands out copies of the map and education certificate as well. I referred mostly to my Gaia gps which I downloaded offline maps for prior to leaving.
Friday 8/31/18 - Departure
My wife had to work until about 5pm so I was at home loading everything up. I got a late start since I slept in so I wasnt finished by time she got home. I had to fight the RTT to get it installed and ended up having to run to Ace hardware for longer bolts to mount them to my new SOS concepts crossbars. We ended up departing on our 500 mile drive to Davis, NC at ~8pm and had to turn around 5 mins into the trip since I left the important documents at home. After that hiccup we made good time, getting to our first camp at ~1am. We used the IOverlander app to find a camp spot just near the end of Hwy 20 before reaching I95. We set up camp to catch some Zzzz before making the next half of the trek to the ferry service in Davis, NC.
Saturday 9/1/18 - Arrival
We woke up at about 6:30am to make some breakfast and pack up. We had french toast which I burned since I was not used to cooking on the cast iron with the camp chef summit stove. We then packed up and left our camp to hurry to Davis, NC. After some playing with the phone and truck gps we found a quick route to get us to the Ferry by 1pm, for some reason the truck wouldnt route properly and had us arriving at 2pm which would have caused us to miss the ferry. I maintained ~5mph above the psted speed limit and got to the ferry at 1:05pm, which worked out nicely since they called us on the road asking if we could be ready by 1:30pm since they were ahead of schedule. This was a welcome surprise and allowed us to arrive to the island early. Upon arrival we noticed that there were 2 more "overlanders" on our ferry that we parked behind. They were also in Tacomas sporting RTTs. Check in was fast and easy and we were on our way in no time.
Saturday 9/1/18 - Camp 1
We had finally made it, the ferry docked on the sandy beached of the South core banks and we made our way en route to camp. First things first, we had to get our ORV decal and the island volunteer gave us some helpful tips. Hot showers were available near the cabin area, ice and fuel was available (gas/diesel) through the ranger station, the "main path" was washboard so driving the beach is smoother, and he mentioned the strict leash law ($50 fine if dog caught off leash) since he noticed our pups in the back seat. Afterwards, we immediately made our way towards the North end and made camp as far North on the island as we could drive (almost, we wanted to keep distance between us and the others). We made camp and were able to have ~1/4 mile between us and the closest neighbors, which was very nice and peaceful. Given our location and the lack of people we let the pups run off leash but kept the leash and runners nearby if needed. We quickly set up camp and began enjoying the warm waters and nice sandy beaches. Dinner the 1st night was steak and mashed potatoes. We saw a it of wildlife at camp 1 as well, including 3 small stingray, crabs, and quite a few birds. The night sky was amazingly clear and we could see all the stars one could count. We scrounged some firewood but ended up going to bed pretty early. In the middle of the night we were woken up by the tiny bites of some "sand fleas", this was a bit of a surprise but we were prepared. We applied some off bug spray and slept through the night.
Sunday 9/2/18 - Ranger station and Camp 2
For day 2 we woke up and made some eggs for breakfast. Once we were full on eggs and fruit we packed up camp and made the drive back to the ranger station for ice and water. The ice was $4.00 and they actually prefer credit/debit. Once we had provisions we made our way South of the station to make camp. We passed a small protected ship wreck on the way. We stayed on the "main path" most of the time which was like driving on a washboard and made for a bumpy ride, testing the limits of the stock suspension we had with the ~300lbs of gear in back. About halfway to the lighthouse we found a nice secluded spot and made camp. Again, we were at least 1/4 mile from the nearest neighbor. We set up camp and sat around enjoying the calming waves and amazing views. Dinner day 2 was chicken and beef tacos. While we were eating my wife noticed a dolphin jumping out of the water which added to the adveture of it all. As the sun set we saw the seagulls take flight and start diving for fish at which point we also noticed some finsint he water. We immediately ran towards the water and saw small sharks feeding on schools of fish. We saw ~10 sharks spread out over a few hundred yards chasing fish. We had never seen sharks this close before in the wild, it was an awesome sight to watch and an incredible experience. My wife did a little research and determined we saw a mix of juvenile hammerhead and black tip sharks. She caught a short video with a few fins breaking the ocean surface. As we calmed down from the shark frenzy we looked up at the sky in awe of the number of stars again. We then made our way to bed, at which point we applied plenty of off bug spray to the tent and our bodies.
Monday 9/3/18 - Historic Village, Light House, and Headed Home
We woke up to bacon and eggs this morning, as we pondered what adventures were ahead of us today. We packed up camp and decided to check out the lighthouse and historic village before heading to the ferry docs. As we drove near the lighthouse to get some pictures we noticed a few military 4x4s and wondered who may be driving those around. We got our answer quickly as we pulled behind a tour guide driving one with ~6 people in the bed as we headed South to the historic village. The NPS was using them as passenger vehicles with built in benches to give tours of the historic village. We followed the large 4x4 down the main path which again was riddled with washboards, excited to see where it would take us. As we entered the town we began reading some of the signage and wondering what it must have been like to live on such an island. Most of the houses were still mostly intact and in good shape. We rode around the town, ate lunch at some of the old picnic tables and explored the short roads on each end. It was pretty cool and definitely makes one wonder what it was like. After exploring the town we made our way to the southern most tip of the island to see what it was like. During our drive we were able to find a few conch shells fully intact which was cool to see. The island are known for the past time "shelling" and there was no shortage of fishermen either. Once we reached the southern most tip we turned back North to take showers before waiting for our ferry. The showers were surprisingly clean and water got very hot. As we rode over to the ferry dock we ran into our Tacoma pals again, the same once we came across with on Saturday. We checked out each other rigs and talk mods and what was next as our ferry came up. This was the 6pm ferry, so although I was hoping to be able to get on this one I knew it wasnt the reservation I had made since were not supposed to go back across until 7pm. Once the ferry docked and the captain saw the rigs he asked me what ferry I was supposed to be on, I told him 7pm and he said "I think we can fit you on this one, and I replied with a great sigh of relief wince we had a ling 8.5hr drive home and my wife had class the next morning. The captain was able to fit 4 tacomas and a large jeep jk onto their "4 vehicle" ferry and departed the island at 5:30pm. Another reason I would highly recommend the https://cape-lookout-cabins-camps-ferry-davis-nc.com/ service. After reaching the mainland we made our 8.5hr, 500 mile trip home. This concluded our amazing journey to the South Core Banks. We hope to return in 2019 and see the North Core Banks next.
Planning
Miles Round Trip
Total: ~1,100 miles
Hwy: ~1,050 miles (8.5hrs or 500 miles each way)
Beach: ~50 miles (25mph speed limit, some 15mph areas)
Ferry cost: $112 ($80 for Tacoma, $16 per person)
Pets: Alot of freedom for well behaved dogs, we didnt run into any issues with the rangers but were warned of a strict leash law if caught. $50 ticket per infraction.
Sites used for planning:
https://www.nps.gov/calo/index.htm
http://npplan.com/parks-by-state/north-carolina-national-parks/cape-lookout-national-seashore-park-at-a-glance/cape-lookout-national-seashore-the-islands/cape-lookout-national-seashore-south-core-banks/
https://cape-lookout-cabins-camps-ferry-davis-nc.com/cabin-rental-south-core-banks-cape-lookout
For labor day weekend 2018 the wife and I decided to explore the Cape Lookout National Seashore. We started planning about a month prior to the trip to get what we needed in order. Most of the information I got was from the NPS site with a little help from reviews (1 being npplan) and the ferry service site. We booked the ferry 2 weeks in advance, I would make reservations sooner than this since when we booked only a few times were available and they were booking quickly. A simple $50 deposit held out spot on the ferry, which is applied to your total (our total being $112 to get across with the Tacoma, my wife and I, and 2 dogs). I highly recommend the ferry service we used, they were very helpful, polite, and accommodating. I downloaded the ORV education certificate from the NPS site which is all that is needed to drive on the beach at Cape Lookout, you turn this in when you reach the island and get a decal. I also downloaded a map of the Southcore banks from the NPS site, although I didnt reference it during the trip. The ferry service hands out copies of the map and education certificate as well. I referred mostly to my Gaia gps which I downloaded offline maps for prior to leaving.
Friday 8/31/18 - Departure
My wife had to work until about 5pm so I was at home loading everything up. I got a late start since I slept in so I wasnt finished by time she got home. I had to fight the RTT to get it installed and ended up having to run to Ace hardware for longer bolts to mount them to my new SOS concepts crossbars. We ended up departing on our 500 mile drive to Davis, NC at ~8pm and had to turn around 5 mins into the trip since I left the important documents at home. After that hiccup we made good time, getting to our first camp at ~1am. We used the IOverlander app to find a camp spot just near the end of Hwy 20 before reaching I95. We set up camp to catch some Zzzz before making the next half of the trek to the ferry service in Davis, NC.
Saturday 9/1/18 - Arrival
We woke up at about 6:30am to make some breakfast and pack up. We had french toast which I burned since I was not used to cooking on the cast iron with the camp chef summit stove. We then packed up and left our camp to hurry to Davis, NC. After some playing with the phone and truck gps we found a quick route to get us to the Ferry by 1pm, for some reason the truck wouldnt route properly and had us arriving at 2pm which would have caused us to miss the ferry. I maintained ~5mph above the psted speed limit and got to the ferry at 1:05pm, which worked out nicely since they called us on the road asking if we could be ready by 1:30pm since they were ahead of schedule. This was a welcome surprise and allowed us to arrive to the island early. Upon arrival we noticed that there were 2 more "overlanders" on our ferry that we parked behind. They were also in Tacomas sporting RTTs. Check in was fast and easy and we were on our way in no time.
Saturday 9/1/18 - Camp 1
We had finally made it, the ferry docked on the sandy beached of the South core banks and we made our way en route to camp. First things first, we had to get our ORV decal and the island volunteer gave us some helpful tips. Hot showers were available near the cabin area, ice and fuel was available (gas/diesel) through the ranger station, the "main path" was washboard so driving the beach is smoother, and he mentioned the strict leash law ($50 fine if dog caught off leash) since he noticed our pups in the back seat. Afterwards, we immediately made our way towards the North end and made camp as far North on the island as we could drive (almost, we wanted to keep distance between us and the others). We made camp and were able to have ~1/4 mile between us and the closest neighbors, which was very nice and peaceful. Given our location and the lack of people we let the pups run off leash but kept the leash and runners nearby if needed. We quickly set up camp and began enjoying the warm waters and nice sandy beaches. Dinner the 1st night was steak and mashed potatoes. We saw a it of wildlife at camp 1 as well, including 3 small stingray, crabs, and quite a few birds. The night sky was amazingly clear and we could see all the stars one could count. We scrounged some firewood but ended up going to bed pretty early. In the middle of the night we were woken up by the tiny bites of some "sand fleas", this was a bit of a surprise but we were prepared. We applied some off bug spray and slept through the night.
Sunday 9/2/18 - Ranger station and Camp 2
For day 2 we woke up and made some eggs for breakfast. Once we were full on eggs and fruit we packed up camp and made the drive back to the ranger station for ice and water. The ice was $4.00 and they actually prefer credit/debit. Once we had provisions we made our way South of the station to make camp. We passed a small protected ship wreck on the way. We stayed on the "main path" most of the time which was like driving on a washboard and made for a bumpy ride, testing the limits of the stock suspension we had with the ~300lbs of gear in back. About halfway to the lighthouse we found a nice secluded spot and made camp. Again, we were at least 1/4 mile from the nearest neighbor. We set up camp and sat around enjoying the calming waves and amazing views. Dinner day 2 was chicken and beef tacos. While we were eating my wife noticed a dolphin jumping out of the water which added to the adveture of it all. As the sun set we saw the seagulls take flight and start diving for fish at which point we also noticed some finsint he water. We immediately ran towards the water and saw small sharks feeding on schools of fish. We saw ~10 sharks spread out over a few hundred yards chasing fish. We had never seen sharks this close before in the wild, it was an awesome sight to watch and an incredible experience. My wife did a little research and determined we saw a mix of juvenile hammerhead and black tip sharks. She caught a short video with a few fins breaking the ocean surface. As we calmed down from the shark frenzy we looked up at the sky in awe of the number of stars again. We then made our way to bed, at which point we applied plenty of off bug spray to the tent and our bodies.
Monday 9/3/18 - Historic Village, Light House, and Headed Home
We woke up to bacon and eggs this morning, as we pondered what adventures were ahead of us today. We packed up camp and decided to check out the lighthouse and historic village before heading to the ferry docs. As we drove near the lighthouse to get some pictures we noticed a few military 4x4s and wondered who may be driving those around. We got our answer quickly as we pulled behind a tour guide driving one with ~6 people in the bed as we headed South to the historic village. The NPS was using them as passenger vehicles with built in benches to give tours of the historic village. We followed the large 4x4 down the main path which again was riddled with washboards, excited to see where it would take us. As we entered the town we began reading some of the signage and wondering what it must have been like to live on such an island. Most of the houses were still mostly intact and in good shape. We rode around the town, ate lunch at some of the old picnic tables and explored the short roads on each end. It was pretty cool and definitely makes one wonder what it was like. After exploring the town we made our way to the southern most tip of the island to see what it was like. During our drive we were able to find a few conch shells fully intact which was cool to see. The island are known for the past time "shelling" and there was no shortage of fishermen either. Once we reached the southern most tip we turned back North to take showers before waiting for our ferry. The showers were surprisingly clean and water got very hot. As we rode over to the ferry dock we ran into our Tacoma pals again, the same once we came across with on Saturday. We checked out each other rigs and talk mods and what was next as our ferry came up. This was the 6pm ferry, so although I was hoping to be able to get on this one I knew it wasnt the reservation I had made since were not supposed to go back across until 7pm. Once the ferry docked and the captain saw the rigs he asked me what ferry I was supposed to be on, I told him 7pm and he said "I think we can fit you on this one, and I replied with a great sigh of relief wince we had a ling 8.5hr drive home and my wife had class the next morning. The captain was able to fit 4 tacomas and a large jeep jk onto their "4 vehicle" ferry and departed the island at 5:30pm. Another reason I would highly recommend the https://cape-lookout-cabins-camps-ferry-davis-nc.com/ service. After reaching the mainland we made our 8.5hr, 500 mile trip home. This concluded our amazing journey to the South Core Banks. We hope to return in 2019 and see the North Core Banks next.
