Ocracoke Accommodations

Ocracoke Island Accommodations are individually run and therefore have a lot of character.

There are no chain hotels on the island. The options range from homey bed and breakfasts to elegant inns and from mom-and-pop motels to luxurious condominium-style suites. Make your reservations well ahead of time, especially for the spring, summer and fall. Some accommodations stay open year round, while others close for the winter; call ahead. In general, the motels and inns in the center of the village and around the harbor are closer to shops, while those on the north end of the village are closer to restaurants. Everything, however, is within walking distance, if you're willing to trek (in the most extreme cases) up to a mile in one direction. Rates generally change with the seasons, and you can expect to pay more in summer.

Though Ocracoke is a small island, if you’re new to the area it can still be a challenge to find your way around

(but, after no more than a day, you’ll be navigating like a local). To help, we’ve divided the information in several chapters, such as Accommodations, Shopping and Restaurants, into three main geographic sections. If you refer to the village map, you’ll see a visual explanation of the sections. This way, until you get to know the island better, you can easily see what shops are near what motels or which restaurants or attractions are close to where you are.

Click on any link below to read more about Ocracoke Accommodations.

Section One: Ocracoke Island North
The area from the Hatteras Ferry on the north end of the island staying on Irvin Garrish Highway
(N.C. Highway 12) until you reach the beginning of the Back Road where the Pirates Chest Gift Shop
is located. (See map.)

Beach House B&B
1111 Irvin Garrish Hwy.
(252) 928-1411
In a 1918 home furnished with antiques and collectibles, this bed and breakfast inn evokes a mood of days gone by. Guests often relax on the porch, just like in the old days. Each of the four guest rooms here has a private bath. Beach House is on the northern end of town near Howard’s Pub, the airport and the beach. The owner is a former restaurateur, and breakfasts are a real treat. This is a nonsmoking establishment. Beach House now has wireless internet and is open year round.

Blue Heron Realty - Vacation Rentals 161 Back Road - PO Box 1685 - Ocracoke, NC 27960 (866) 576-7117 or (252) 928-7117 Blue Heron Realty invites you to vacation in one of our Ocracoke Island rentals. We take great pride in our island home, this one-of-a-kind place on the North Carolina Outer Banks, known for the incomparable beauty of its land- and seascapes-- and for the wonderful people who call it home.

Pelican Lodge
1021 Irvin Garrish Hwy.
(252) 928-1661
Open year round, the Pelican Lodge has comfortable rooms with queen-size beds and private baths, including one large suite with a Jacuzzi tub. A full sit-down breakfast is served each morning. The sky deck is a cool place to relax and bikes are available.

Pony Island Motel 785 Irvin Garrish Hwy. (252) 928-4411 or (866) 928-4411 Open for more than 40 years, Pony Island is a family-owned, family-oriented, clean, comfortable and friendly motel. It offers 50 units, including motel-style rooms, efficiencies and luxury suites with expansive views. Bike rentals, boat dockage and a swimming pool are available, and lots of guests take advantage of the spacious lawns, grills and picnic tables. Wireless internet service is also available. The popular Pony Island Restaurant is next door. Pony Island also operates four cottages that accommodate up to six people. The motel is open year round.

Edward’s of Ocracoke
226 Old Beach Road
(252) 928-4801, (800) 254-1359
Edward’s offers relaxed accommodations to suit any traveler’s need — eight motel rooms, three efficiencies, six apartment cottages and two private cottages. The accommodations are simple, clean, affordable and perfect for the fishing-village lifestyle of Ocracoke. Most of the units have screened porches. Edward’s is open from mid-March through Thanksgiving.

Sand Dollar Motel
70 Sand Dollar Road
(252) 928-5571 or (866) 928-5771
This motel is tucked away in a quiet residential setting. It's a 12-unit complex and has suites and cottages available for weekly rentals. A secluded pool is on site. The office is open from April through October. During the rest of the year, rooms at winter rates can be rented by calling ahead.

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Wagon Wheel Cottages
Silver Lake Drive on Silver Lake Harbor
(252) 928-5321
These small cottages are beloved by the families, hunters and fishermen who have long rented here. Each has a full kitchen and a simple, homey interior. Right on the harbor, they’ve been owned and operated by the same family for more than 40 years.

The Ocracoke Harbor Inn 144 Silver Lake Drive on Silver Lake Harbor (252) 928-5731, (888) 456-1998 This aptly named inn overlooks Silver Lake harbor, with private decks off every room so no one misses the view. The inn has 16 rooms and seven suites, all tastefully decorated. The studio-style suites offer two-person whirlpool tubs and kitchenettes. Continental breakfast is complimentary. Guests have access to wireless internet in all rooms, boat docks, outdoor showers and rental bikes. If you want a little more room, ask about the two-bedroom apartment or their three-bedroom cottages. The cottages have a three-night minimum. The inn is open February through November.

The Castle on Silver Lake 155 Silver Lake Drive on Silver Lake Harbor (252) 928-3505, (800) 471-8848 With gables galore and a steep-pitched roof, The Castle looks like a magical sandcastle sitting on the Ocracoke harbor. This bed and breakfast occupies a renovated historic structure built by Ocracoke legend Sam Jones and local craftsmen. The Castle has 11 rooms, each with a private bath. A full breakfast is served. Also on the property are 16 Courtyard Villas providing accommodations for longer stays. All Castle property guests have access to the on-site spa, heated pool, marina, sauna, conference room, wireless internet and bicycles. Villas are available year-round; the Castle B&B closes January and February.

The Lightkeeper’s Guest House
61 Creek Road
(252) 928-1821
The Lightkeeper’s rents individual rooms or the whole house nightly and weekly in this 1929 home, which was built so a retiring lighthouse keeper could live out his days on the island. It’s in a quiet, largely residential area but just feet from the harbor and lighthouse, and it is within easy walking distance of nearly everything. Five private, air-conditioned rooms share two full bathrooms. One bedroom is available with a private bath. There are numerous porches and comfortable common areas, and all guests have kitchen privileges. The modern cupola addition offers great views.

The Cove B&B 21 Loop Road (252) 928-4192 Off the beaten path at the end of Lighthouse Road, The Cove occupies a beautiful beach house with views of the Pamlico Sound, the lighthouse and spectacular sunsets. The house is large and rambling and has two suites and four rooms, each with its own bath and balcony. New for 2008, a two-bedroom, two-bath cottage next door is also available for rental. Guests are greeted with a complimentary wine reception by the hosts. Full breakfasts are served, and wireless internet and bikes are available. This is a nonsmoking inn for people 12 and older. The whole house can be rented for retreats or weddings and only closes for the month of January. Call for more information about special rates and packages.

Island Inn and Dining Room
25 Lighthouse Road on the corner of Irvin Garrish Highway
(252) 928-4351 or (877) 456-3466
Built in 1901, the building that houses the Island Inn is an Ocracoke icon, having served as a lodge, school, private residence and naval headquarters. Guests can choose to stay in the historic building in one of 16 rooms furnished with antiques and quilts or across the street in one of the 12 villas. The villas are one- or two-bedroom condo units with Jacuzzi tubs overlooking the heated pool, which is available to all guests. A full breakfast is included with the hotel room rentals. The inn and the villas are available year-round.

Oscar’s House Bed and Breakfast 660 Irvin Garrish Highway (252) 928-1311 Offering bed and breakfast since 1984, Oscar’s House has welcomed folks from all over the world. This 1940 island home was built by Captain Joe Burrus, one of the island's last lighthouse keepers. Now a gem of an inn, Oscar’s has four guest rooms, two baths and a delightful innkeeper, Ann Ehringhaus. Ann is a photographer, author, interfaith minister and massage therapist. Oscar’s is located in the heart of Ocracoke village. It offers rest and renewal with good conversation and fun, free bicycles and massage therapy. Healthy full breakfasts are served, and special diets are happily accommodated. Retreats and Reiki workshops are offered in the off-season. An easy walk to the harbor and other historic sites, the B&B is open from April through October-November.

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Section Three: Ocracoke Village West
The area included between Irvin Garrish Highway (a.k.a. N.C. Highway 12) and Pamlico Sound on the side of the island where the village center, British Cemetery and the Back Road loop are found. If you are traveling from the Hatteras Ferry at the north end of the island into the village, it will be all of the village located to the right of Irvin Garrish Highway after you pass the Pirates Chest Gift shop. (See map.)

Anchorage Inn and Marina Motel Irvin Garrish Hwy. (252) 928-1101 The Anchorage offers modern lodgings and resort amenities including continental breakfast, a private pool and sundeck and a raw bar and grill on the harbor. Shops and restaurants are just steps away. The Anchorage provides 35 motel-style rooms and two suites, most with a view of Silver Lake and the lighthouse. Elevator access is available to the upper four floors of the five-story inn. Pets are allowed in some rooms for a fee on the first floor. Gulf Stream and inshore fishing charters are available here, and you can rent bikes, small boats and scooters. It's open March through November.

Crews Inn B&B 503 Back Road (252) 928-7011 Crews Inn offers a true Ocracoke Island experience in a secluded 1908 island home down an oyster-shell driveway. Five guest rooms are offered, three with a private bath and two that share a bath. The top-floor room, the Captain's Quarters, has a claw-foot tub and small deck. A continental breakfast is served on the wraparound porch. This is a nonsmoking inn. Harborside Motel Irvin Garrish Hwy. on Silver Lake Harbor (252) 928-3111 Harborside is located in the heart of Ocracoke and offers 14 rooms and four efficiencies. It has been owned and operated by the same family since 1965. All air-conditioned rooms have a TV, phone and refrigerator. Guests are welcome to use the sun deck, dock and boat ramps across the street. The owner bakes the scones, coffee cakes and muffins that are served on the continental breakfast bar. Harborside is open Easter through mid-November.

Silver Lake Motel and Inn
395 Irvin Garrish Hwy. on Silver Lake Harbor
(252) 928-5721
Silver Lake's 33 motel rooms are small, basic rooms in the midst of the bustle around Silver Lake. Guests can enjoy both continental breakfasts and sunsets from one of the three stories of decks overlooking the harbor. The newer wing boasts large suites with full kitchens, six-person hot tubs and private decks. The popular Jolly Roger Pub is across the street, and the Sunset Lounge is in the main building. Silver Lake has been known to attract fun-loving people. They're open from March through October.

Thurston House Inn Irvin Garrish Hwy. (252) 928-6037 This bed and breakfast inn occupies two buildings – a 1920s island home that is a contributing structure in Ocracoke’s Historic District and a newer adjacent building constructed in 1999. Decorated in charming island style, the inn offers nine rooms, each with a private bath, queen- or king-size bed and cable TV. Full breakfasts are provided. Decks and porches are perfect places for relaxing. The inn is open year round.

Blackbeard’s Lodge 111 Back Road (252) 928-3421 or (800) 892-5314 Blackbeard’s is the oldest hotel on Ocracoke, and it’s legendary, just like its namesake. The new owners have given it an updated look. The lodge has 38 units with accommodations to suit any need, whether it’s simple motel-style rooms, efficiency apartments sleeping eight and providing a full kitchen and dining room or a 1,200-square-foot presidential suite. All rooms have wireless internet, satellite TV, refrigerators and A/C units. Blackbeard’s is family-oriented, with a heated pool, game room, pool table, foosball tables, video and board games, bicycles for rent, a fish-cleaning station and a large porch with rockers and swings. Pets are even welcomed here.

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Vacation Rentals
Ocracoke Island is rich with rentable houses and cottages. See our Vacation Rentals page.

Campgrounds

Ocracoke Campground – National Park Service
N.C. Hwy. 12
(252) 928-4531 or (877) 444-6777 (for reservations)
The National Park Service’s Ocracoke Campground is on the oceanfront about 3 miles from Ocracoke Village. It’s tucked behind a row of dunes, beyond which lies the wide, unspoiled Ocracoke beach. The campground is suitable for tents and RVs and offers parking at each site, running water, flush toilets, cold showers, a dump station and charcoal grills. There are very few trees here and, therefore, no shade. The facility is open from the Friday before Easter through Columbus Day. Bring mosquito repellent in the summer. Pets are allowed on leashes. Reservations are recommended and can be made online at www.recreation.org or by calling (877)-444-6777.

Beachcomber Campground
990 Irvin Garrish Hwy.
(252) 588-0109
Behind Ocracoke Station, this campground has 29 camper sites with electricity and water hookups and seven tent sites. Hot showers and full bathrooms are available as are picnic tables. Pets are allowed on leashes. It’s open year round as weather permits. Reservations are recommended.

Teeter’s Campground
British Cemetery Road
(252) 928-3135
Teeter’s is tucked into the trees down British Cemetery Road, near the heart of the village. It offers two full hookup sites, 12 sites with electricity and water hookup and 10 tent sites. Hot showers, grills and picnic tables are available. It’s open March through November. Reservations are recommended.

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Pet Accommodations

Sandy Paws Bed & Biscuit Inn
136 West End Road
(252) 928-3093
If you can’t bear to leave your animals at home but your rental cottage or motel doesn’t allow pets, Sandy Paws is the answer. This kennel allows owners to take their pets out as often as they like. Overnight stays are $20/day, and day care for dogs that need a climate-controlled, safe place while you explore, boat or dine costs $15. The entrance to West End Road is across the street from the Variety Store.

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OTHER OUTER BANKS GUIDES:  Corolla l Duck l Hatteras l Nags Head I Ocracoke l Roanoke Island