Great Island Cabin Camp

🏝️ Introduction / Overview: The Authentic Outer Banks Cabin Experience

For North Carolina locals seeking a genuine, rugged, and unforgettable coastal escape, Great Island Cabin Camp offers a unique and celebrated destination. Situated on South Core Banks within the pristine Cape Lookout National Seashore, this is not your typical mainland campground—it is an authentic barrier island retreat. The camp consists of rustic, historic cabins that provide a comfortable, yet deliberately primitive, alternative to tent camping on the Outer Banks.

The core appeal of Great Island Cabin Camp is its deliberate isolation. Because the island is accessible only by boat, visitors are instantly transported to a peaceful, uncrowded natural paradise. Here, the focus is on the breathtaking beaches, world-class fishing, and the spectacular, clear night skies. While modern civilization’s conveniences like consistent grid electricity are intentionally absent, the cabins provide essential comforts: a real bed, running water, and a kitchen setup, allowing you to focus completely on your adventure.

Owned and operated by the National Park Service (NPS), the camp is a treasured spot for anglers, shell collectors, and families ready to disconnect from technology and reconnect with the unspoiled beauty of North Carolina’s coastline. The experience is rustic, requiring preparation and self-sufficiency, but the reward is a true slice of barrier island life.

📍 Location and Accessibility: A Boat Ride to Paradise

The location of the booking office and park headquarters is on the mainland, serving as the gateway to this coastal adventure. However, the actual cabin camp is located on South Core Banks, a pristine barrier island within Cape Lookout National Seashore.

• Mainland Contact Address: 131 Charles St, Harkers Island, NC 28531, USA. (Note: This is the location of the Park Headquarters/Visitor Center, not the camp itself).
• Physical Location of Camp: South Core Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore.
• The Journey: Access to the island and the Great Island Cabin Camp is exclusively by boat. Visitors must utilize one of the privately operated vehicle or passenger ferries departing from nearby mainland towns like Davis, NC, to cross the scenic Core Sound.
• Vehicle Access: For those who wish to drive on the beach (highly recommended for transporting gear), the vehicle ferry is necessary, and a 4WD, high-clearance vehicle is strongly recommended due to deep sand. An Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Driving Permit is required and must be purchased online prior to arrival.
• Off-Grid Setting: It is crucial for North Carolina travelers to understand that the camp is off-grid. There are no paved roads on the barrier islands, and electricity for your cabin must be supplied by the visitor's personal generator.

🧺 Services Offered: Rustic Comforts with Essential Necessities

The cabins at Great Island are designed to be self-sufficient and weather-resistant, providing key comforts that elevate the experience above primitive tent camping.

• Generous Accommodations: Cabins are sturdy, wooden structures with screened windows and porches, varying in size to sleep between 4 and 12 people on simple bunk beds with mattresses.
• Private Bathrooms: A significant upgrade from tent camping, each cabin features a private bathroom with a flush toilet and shower stall.
• Hot and Running Water: Each unit is equipped with its own hot water heater and running (non-potable) water for personal hygiene and washing up.
• Propane Cooking: Kitchen areas within the cabins include cabinets and a propane oven/stove combination, allowing for full meal preparation (propane gas is included).
• Generator Wiring: Cabins are wired for visitor-supplied generators (must be 5,500 watts or smaller and GFI-equipped) to power lights and small appliances. This is the only source of electricity in your cabin.
• Camp Office Essentials: A small, seasonal camp office provides basic needs such as ice, fuel (unleaded gasoline and diesel), and limited supplies for purchase.
• Outdoor Cooking: A charcoal grill is provided just outside each cabin for traditional outdoor cooking.
• Fish Cleaning Station: For the numerous anglers that frequent the banks, a dedicated fish cleaning station is located within the camp area.
• Trash-Free Park: Cape Lookout National Seashore operates as a Trash-Free Park. Visitors must be prepared to pack out all trash and waste with them on the ferry upon departure.

🌟 Features / Highlights: Unspoiled Coastal Adventure

The true highlights of Great Island Cabin Camp are the unparalleled recreational activities afforded by its location in the National Seashore.

• Immediate Beach Access: The cabins are situated directly on the South Core Banks, often just a few steps from the beach and the ramp to the ocean side, offering effortless access to the Atlantic.
• World-Class Surf Fishing: The barrier island is legendary for its surf fishing, particularly during the spring and fall seasons when anglers target species like Red Drum, Bluefish, and Pompano right from the sand.
• Cape Lookout Lighthouse: The iconic black-and-white diamond pattern lighthouse is nearby, offering a fantastic photo opportunity and, when open, the opportunity to climb for panoramic coastal views.
• Exceptional Shelling: The uninhabited beaches of Cape Lookout are considered some of the best on the East Coast for beachcombing and collecting unique and beautiful shells.
• Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Driving: With the proper permit, driving your 4WD vehicle along the extensive miles of beach and on the sandy back road is a central activity, providing access to remote fishing spots and the Point of the Cape.
• Stargazing and Solitude: Due to the park’s remote, off-grid location, the night skies are spectacular, offering clear, unobstructed views of the stars unlike anywhere else on the crowded coast.
• Wildlife Viewing: Keep an eye out for shorebirds, seabirds, and the famous wild horses (feral descendants of Spanish Mustangs) on nearby Shackleford Banks, accessible via passenger ferry.

📞 Contact Information: Plan Your Rustic Retreat

To secure your cabin at this popular destination, it is highly recommended to book well in advance, as the camp’s limited availability often sells out quickly, particularly during prime fishing and summer seasons.

• Address (Park Headquarters/Mailing): 131 Charles St, Harkers Island, NC 28531, USA
• Phone (Harkers Island Visitor Center/Administrative): (252) 728-2250
• Reservations: Cabin reservations are managed by the National Park Service and are typically made through the official

  Recreation.gov

  booking platform, not the local phone number.
• Ferry Service: Information for the essential vehicle and passenger ferry services can be found by searching for authorized Cape Lookout ferry operators departing from Davis, NC.

✅ What is Worth Choosing: A True North Carolina Disconnect

Choosing a stay at Great Island Cabin Camp is choosing an experience over typical convenience. What is worth choosing here is the authenticity and raw beauty of North Carolina’s natural barrier islands. Customers consistently praise the experience for providing a much-needed bridge between primitive camping and a fully serviced beach rental.

By offering a real bed, running water, and a flush toilet, the cabins remove the toughest obstacles of island camping while retaining the thrill of being off-grid and fully immersed in nature. This camp is a favorite amongst those who value world-class surf fishing, unobstructed beachfront access, and the simple luxury of falling asleep to the sound of the Atlantic—all within the unique, protected environment of a National Seashore. For a North Carolinian looking for a rugged yet comfortable family tradition, Great Island is a treasured gem that has stood the test of time and weather.