I relocated to southeastern North Carolina a couple of years ago. One of the things I like most about my new home is seeing the lights of the Oak Island Lighthouse from my deck. It is fun to count as the lights slice into the night sky. One, two, three, four flashes of light followed by a brief break then the beams of light appear again. When I learned I could take a free tour of North Carolina’s youngest lighthouse, I made a reservation.

I arrived at the lighthouse on Caswell Beach and joined the others who were waiting for the tour to begin. We entered the lighthouse where volunteers shared a brief history of the Oak Island Lighthouse, trivia, and safety instructions.

This lighthouse does not have spiral stairs commonly found in older lighthouses. There are flights of ship’s ladders instead. One hundred thirty one steps later we reached the top!

It is exhilarating to exit the lighthouse onto the balcony as the sun, wind, and sights greet you. The views of the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway are simply stunning. The beacons I see from my deck were now located just above my head.

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Old Baldy Lighthouse on Bald Head Island was in clear view. It is awesome to stand on the balcony of one North Carolina lighthouse and look across the water at yet another. I am not surprised that Our State Magazine recently listed climbing a state lighthouse as a top ten experience North Carolinians should have. This fairly new North Carolinian is glad she did. I highly recommend the Oak Island Lighthouse tour to locals and visitors alike.