Dam and foal at Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore
Shackleford Banks is most famous for its herd of over 100 wild Banker Horses that roam the island. Nobody knows for sure how the horses got there, but they have been on the island for hundreds of years and are genetically related to Spanish horses brought with early Spanish explorers. They could have gotten on the island by swimming from sinking ships, or they could have been throw overboard from grounded ships so the ship could be lightened and capable of moving off the sand bar. There are also wild horses living in the Rachel Carson Reserve, which is made up of some of the islands off the coast of Beaufort, North Carolina. This is very close to Shackleford, but the horses do not swim back and forth between the islands.
If seeing the horses is your objective and you will be taking the National Park Service concessionaire ferry, be sure you get on the correct one. Island Express Ferry Service runs a boat from the Harkers Island Visitor Center and from Beaufort. You want to take the ferry from Harker’s Island, for this goes to the east side of the island where there is more vegetation—even a maritime forest—and thus the horses are most likely to be on this side of the island. The Beaufort ferry goes to the west side of the island where the beaches are.
The ferry will also be carrying people to Cape Lookout and will stop at both places, though Shackleford is the first stop. Unlike at Cape Lookout where you are let off at a dock, at Shackleford you must jump off the boat and into the water, so be sure to wear sandals or some type of shoe that you don’t mind getting wet. You don’t have to swim to shore, but the water could be knee deep. The ferry captain will get as close as possible, but he can’t run the boat up on the shore.
When making a reservation for the ferry, you only pick a departure time. You pick the return time at the ticket office on the day of your departure. I suggest staying no longer than two hours unless you also plan to sunbathe and swim. If you find the horses right away, you’ll have time to go swimming. If you can’t find them within two hours, you might not find them at all. I stayed for four hours and just sat on the shore for the last two hours and did some swimming, but I can tell you that it was a very long two hours, especially with the sun beating down on me. There is no shade on the island anywhere near the shore.
An expedition to Shackleford to see the horses is no cakewalk. Sure, if the horses happen to be right at the drop off point you’ve got it made, but they are wild animals that roam freely on the island, so no telling where they might be…or even if you will see them at all. Because of this, you may have to Lewis-and-Clark-It™ to find them. This is not a task for young children, elderly, disabled, or anyone not looking to get wet and / or dirty. You may have to wade along the shoreline or cross channels that have been cut into the island, though most are just knee deep. They can be mucky, however, thus the “dirty” part of the horse finding equation. You may have to trudge across grasslands and through brush. Keep in mind that anything you do will be out in the open under the beating sun.
You may have to wade across channels and traipse through tall grass to find horses on Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore
When traveling to Shackelford to see the horses, this is a list of what you should bring:
Depending on the heat, up to one gallon of water
If it is the summertime, bring a gallon of water. That’s an extra 7 pounds in your backpack. In the spring or fall a liter should do.
Water shoes or shoes you don’t mind getting wet
Waterproof bag for your equipment (not required, but certainly helpful)
You’ll need a waterproof bag because you might actually have to swim to the horses, and you will want to keep your camera and other electronics dry. During my visit, the horses were initially on a sandbar. Luckily, just before I was about to swim out to them, they started swimming back towards me. I had no idea how deep the water was and assumed it was shallow like the channels I had been crossing, but the horses actually had to swim, so that pool of water was fairly deep. If you don’t have any way to keep your camera dry, you just have to wait and hope the horses come to you.
Wild horses on Shackleford Banks at Cape Lookout National Seashore
Telephoto lens
You’ll need a telephoto lens because you can’t get closer than 50 feet from the horses (park rules), and chances are you might not even be able to get that close.
Swimming suit
Bring a swimsuit, though not necessarily because you may have to swim to the horses. Once you spot them, there are only so many horse photos you can take. If you told the ferry to come back a few hours later, you won’t have anything else to do but sit on the beach and go for a swim.
Aside from horses, there is plenty of other wildlife on the island, plus various flowers. The following are photos of some that I saw, as well as more horse photos.
Newborn foal, about one week old, on Shackleford Banks in Cape Lookout National Seashore
Horses at Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore
Horses at Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore
Horses at Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore
Birds at Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore
Birds at Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore
Heron at Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore
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Last updated on March 26, 2024
