Paddling near Ocracoke, NC

Ocracoke is a 16-mile barrier island in Hyde County, part of the Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The island's soundside waters — particularly the Pamlico Sound, one of the largest estuaries in the United States — draw kayakers, canoeists, and stand-up paddleboarders to its shallow, calm, marsh-lined shores. Silver Lake Harbor, Springer's Point, and the island's creek and estuary network are the marquee paddling destinations, with a crossing to Portsmouth Island representing the area's most ambitious open-water route.