Paddling near Harkers Island, NC

Harkers Island sits in Carteret County along Core Sound, at the edge of Cape Lookout National Seashore. The area is a base for paddling across to the barrier islands — Shackleford Banks and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse — through shallow, tidal sound waters that can shift quickly with wind and tide. Marked water trails extend along the Down East coastline, and the crossing from Harkers Island to Cape Lookout is one of the signature paddles on the Crystal Coast.