Core Banks, North Carolina

The Core Banks are barrier islands in North Carolina, part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. They extend from Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Lookout, and consist of two low relief narrow islands, North Core Banks and South Core Banks, and, since September 2011, two smaller islands. New Drum Inlet, and now Old Drum Inlet, and Ophelia Inlet, separate the islands. They are now uninhabited, although Portsmouth, at the north end of the Core Banks, was once a substantial port.

The islands are visited by sport fishermen, who reach the islands by two vehicle ferries. One ferry crosses Core Sound from Atlantic to North Core Banks, and another crosses the sound from Davis to South Core Banks. There are no roads on the islands: vehicles use the beach and four wheel drive tracks. Passenger ferries also take tourists from Harkers Island to the Cape Lookout area at the south end of South Core Banks.^[1]

Portsmouth Island, on which Portsmouth Village stands, is a tidal island accessible from North Core Banks at most states of the tide.

The geography of the Core Banks has changed since the mid 19th century. At that time South Core Banks was connected to the Shackleford Banks. Over the years inlets have closed and opened in the barrier islands. From north to south these inlets have been Whalebone Inlet, now closed, which separated Portsmouth Island from the Core Banks, Swash Inlet (closed), Old Drum Inlet (closed in 1971 and reopened by Hurricane Irene in 2011), New Drum Inlet (opened by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1971), Ophelia Inlet (opened by Hurricane Ophelia in 2005^[2]), Cedar Inlet (closed) and Barden Inlet (opened by a hurricane in 1933, separating Shackleford Banks from South Core Banks).^[3]

References

1. ^ Cape Lookout National Seashore: Ferry Services
2. ^ David J. Mallinson and others (2008). "Past,Present and Future Inlets of the Outer Banks Barrier Islands, North Carolina". http://www.ecu.edu/icsp/ICSP/Reports_files/PastPresentAndFutureInletsDec2008.pdf.  page 12
3. ^ Barrier Island Ecology of Cape Lookout National Seashore, NPS Scientific Monograph No.9, Chapter 3

Coordinates: 34°42′23″N 76°27′32″W / 34.70639°N 76.45889°W / 34.70639; -76.45889