Carteret County: Coast, History and Special Experiences

Carteret County combines impressive coastal landscapes with maritime history and experiences that can be arranged into very different kinds of travel days. You can explore nature trails and marshlands, visit historic sites or learn about coastal history in museums and workshops. When choosing your vacation rental, it is therefore particularly useful to consider whether you would like to focus on nature, culture, water or a varied range of activities.

Coastal Landscapes, Marshes and Wild Horses

Among the notable nature experiences are the Shackleford Banks. They are home to more than 100 wild horses. The Rachel Carson Reserve is located in southern Carteret County, directly opposite the Town of Beaufort on the other side of Taylor’s Creek. Its landscape includes tidal flats, salt marshes, a sea beach and maritime forest. Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, meanwhile, encompasses extensive, relatively undisturbed coastal marshes as well as pocosin and forest habitats.

Longer hikes can also be included in your travel plans. The Neusiok Trail runs for more than 20 miles from a sandy beach on the Neuse River to a salt marsh on the Newport River. In Fort Macon State Park, the Elliott Coues Nature Trail connects the fort area with the beach area. The round trip is approximately 3.2 miles long and leads through marshland, maritime forest and sand dunes. The park’s beach is suitable for swimming and beach walks for beachcombing.

A special arrival or excursion idea is the ferry between Cedar Island and Ocracoke. It connects NC 12 from Ocracoke southward with Cedar Island in Carteret County. If you would like to combine nature experiences with changing landscapes, these different settings provide a good basis for an individually planned trip.

Maritime History and Vibrant Culture

Fort Macon State Park is centered around a superbly restored fort dating from before the Civil War. Guided tours are offered there daily. This allows you to combine a day at the beach with a historic visit without limiting the trip exclusively to one theme.

At the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort, you can learn more about coastal history, lighthouses, lifesaving stations and the fishing and seafood industry. The museum also houses artifacts from Blackbeard’s sunken flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge. The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center complements this focus with an active workshop for building traditional wooden boats. Boatbuilding courses for all experience levels are offered there throughout the year.

The History Museum of Carteret County displays documents, photographs and objects that illustrate the lives of the county’s residents. Further exhibitions explore the history of the surrounding area. The Beaufort Historic Site includes the Carteret County Courthouse, dating from 1796. The Historic Buildings Tour covers three historic buildings, presented by experienced guides in period clothing.

Experiences for Differently Planned Vacation Days

There are various cultural and natural-history attractions to enjoy even when the weather changes. The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum preserves the practice of carving decoys and hosts live demonstrations by decoy carvers. Thousands of marine animals live at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. The Living Shipwreck exhibit includes a 60-foot viewing window that provides a special glimpse into the marine world.

The North Carolina Seafood Festival takes place along the waterfront of Morehead City. Together with the museums, boatbuilding workshop, historic buildings and natural areas, it creates a broad range of travel ideas: a day at the beach, a longer hike, a guided tour or an exploration of the region’s coastal culture. You can then choose a vacation rental or vacation home specifically according to your desired daily itinerary and preferred local atmosphere, without committing to just one type of vacation.

Places for Your Further Search

For choosing a location and searching for suitable accommodation, you can also compare Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Cape Carteret, Emerald Isle, Beaufort, Harkers Island, Sealevel, Indian Beach and Newport with one another. This makes it possible to choose the right starting point for your personal interests in the coast, nature, history and maritime experiences.

For the overview of higher-level travel destinations: North Carolina.