Featured Stories
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...
No new taxes in proposed Hyde budget
Hyde County manager Kris Cahoon Noble has recommended a 2026-2027 county budget with no tax increases.
In her Budget Message she said the recommended amount...
Ocracoke Access Alliance proposes new tolling plan for Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route
From our news services
Clarification: The Ocracoke Access Alliance asks for increased tolls on only the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter routes, not other routes...
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.
