To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Bodie Island Lighthouse, the National Park Service is proud to provide limited fee free climbing of the lighthouse on Saturday, November 12th. Reservations are required in advance and climbing is limited to 8 people per timeslot.
Additional events and programs are planned throughout the day and will be announced to the public soon.
Note: The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is currently closed for climbing due to on-going restoration efforts. This event registration is for climbing the Bodie Island Lighthouse only.
Safety and Rules
Please do your part to have a safe, enjoyable experience and follow these safety rules while visiting the lighthouse.
- You MUST be at the lighthouse at least 5 minutes prior to your tour time. Refunds are not given if you are late, and your spot may be given to someone else.
- Each climber must be at least 42" (107cm) tall and capable of climbing all steps on his or her own.
- Children 11 years of age or younger must be accompanied by an adult who is 16 years of age or older.
- No person may be lifted or carried.
- Running, jumping, or stomping on stairs and landings is prohibited.
- Do not eat, drink (except water), smoke or chew tobacco.
- No pets allowed.
- Shoes required; No bare feet or heels over 1-½" (3.8 cm) high.
- Leave umbrellas, backpacks, tripods, coolers, beach bags, surfboards, fishing poles, and the like in your car.
- Throwing of any object off the lighthouses is unsafe and may get you in big trouble! The lighthouses may close at any time if weather conditions are unsafe.
What to Expect
Lighthouse climbs are strenuous!
The Bodie Island Lighthouse has just over 200 steps from the ground to the top, equal to climbing a 10-story building. The narrow stairs have a handrail only on one side and 9 landings.
There is no air conditioning and no elevator in the lighthouse. It may be noisy, humid, hot and dim inside the lighthouse. Visitors with heart, respiratory or other medical conditions, or who have trouble climbing stairs, should use their own discretion as to whether to climb the lighthouse.
Climbers can bring water in a non-glass, sealable container.
Special thanks to the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society and Outer Banks Forever for their help in coordinating this anniversary event!
