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Ocracoke Island is one of the barrier islands of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Outer Banks --where pirate Blackbeard once roamed-- is a popular place for family beach vacations.
A free ferry service runs to Ocracoke Island from Hatteras Island: a 40-minute trip. (In summer, waiting lines get long.)
The village of Ocracoke is on the National Register of Historic Places and has a lighthouse, historic homes, quaint shops. Kids will like to see the "Banker Ponies" grazing, a wild herd now cared for by the National Park Service.
See a photo gallery, and visitors info for Ocracoke Island. Or read more about the Outer Banks for families.
*photo courtesy of North Carolina Tourism.
