Featured Stories
Martin Hanson: Juneteenth is my Fourth of July
By Martin Henson, Beacon Media
Juneteenth is my Fourth of July. It comes with all my favorite things: barbecues, commemorations, elders standing up on stages...
NPS seeks volunteer sea turtle nest-sitters
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore will hold a turtle nest watching session for volunteers at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, in the Ocracoke...
Ocracoke Library to host summer reading programs
All are welcome to join in the Ocracoke Library’s free summer programs for kids and families.
This year’s theme, “Unearth a Story,” will explore dinosaurs,...
Ocracoke Commons Visitor & Cultural Center launched
Text and photos by Connie Leinbach
Debbie Wells feels like she’s going at warp speed all the time.
As interim manager of the new nonprofit, the...
NC Board of Transportation visits Ocracoke
By Connie Leinbach
At this time, the North Carolina General Assembly still has not passed a budget for the current fiscal year, making it the...
General Island Information
The Ocracoke lighthouse was 200 years old in 2023. Photo: C. Leinbach
Island Images
A Snowy Owl over the Ocracoke dunes. Photo: P. Vankevich
Snowy South Point Road. Photo: P. Vankevich
Northern lights seen on Ocracoke Nov. 12, 2025. Photo by Ocracoke Harbor Inn
An Ocracoke canal. Photo: C. Leinbach
The Ocracoke ponies. Photo: P. Vankevich
Ocracoke summer surf. Photo: C. Leinbach
The Island Inn Commons in bloom. Photo: C. Leinbach
Sunset cruise on the Pamlico Sound. Photo: C. Leinbach
June 2026 print issue
The Ocracoke Observer website won first place in the 2020-2021 NCPA contest Online Division, plus four other awards. It has won more than 60 awards, many in first place, since joining the N.C. Press Association in 2015 and entering the contest starting in 2016.
