We all recognize the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a place of sunny skies, sandy beaches, and pristine beauty. But with a piece of land that encompasses so much history, also comes some rather spooky tales of a few haunted locations. Whether you are a believer or not, the Outer Banks has been said to possibly be one of the most haunted places in the United States. And with such a historical past including pirates and shipwrecks, how could it not be? So whether you are a believer or not, check out a few of these eerie spots and decide for yourself if they hold any paranormal activity……or if they are just simply folklores being passed down from age to age!

Ocracoke Island is very much a part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and is located at the southernmost tip of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. At this tip, there is a very small channel that has been named Teach’s Hole. It connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Ocracoke Inlet, and then it all ties together into the much larger waters of the Pamlico Sound. Right in this very area is where Edward Teach (if that name doesn’t ring a bell, then maybe the notorious name ‘Blackbeard’ will!) was killed by Lt. Robert Maynard of the British Navy in 1718. Once Blackbeard’s supremacy of terror had come to an end, he was treated in the very same way that most pirates around that time were treated – he was beheaded. His head was then hung from Lt Maynard’s ship’s bowsprit, and his body was unceremoniously tossed overboard. 

Witnesses of Blackbeard’s death said that his head continued to scream even after the beheading, and claim that his body swam around the ship before finally disappearing beneath the dark waters. Since the days of his death, there have been many reports from both tourists and Outer Banks locals, that have seen Blackbeard’s headless body swimming around in Teach’s Hole. There have also been reports of a headless man seen wandering around the beaches of Ocracoke, possibly searching for its lost head?

When you hear the word ‘lighthouse’, if you are anything like an OBX local, then your mind may go straight to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The thought and vision of this lighthouse is iconic and one of the most cherished landmarks on the entire east coast. When driving by this beautiful monument, you may never suspect that it could have such a dark and gloomy side, but the many haunted spirits and spooky stories would tell you just the opposite. Those who have sailed close to the lighthouse at night have reported spotting the ghost of Theodosia Burr, a woman who was killed as a result of a shipwreck in 1812. She is seen strolling along the sandy beach, haunting the Cape Hatteras lighthouse still to this very day. Another chilling tale at this very same location, is the story of the Carroll A. Deering ship. It is now famously known as the ‘Ghost Ship of the Outer Banks.’ It washed ashore back in 1921 without a single passenger on board. Upon years of further investigations by the FBI, there has never been a single trace of the crew, or the ship’s logs.

In the tiny coastal town of Manteo located on Roanoke Island, visitors will find the charming Roanoke Island Inn. The Inn has been around, almost 160 years, being built in 1860. It may sound like a perfect and quiet little weekend trip, but according to some, looks can be deceiving. Former employees at the Inn have reported that a prior owner, Roscoe Jones, is a spirit that still avidly haunts the Inn. The legend says that Jones was fired from a United States Post Office and was so distraught and embarrassed, that he secluded himself in a room at the inn until the very day that he died. It is said that a man in a postal uniform can frequently be seen coming and going at the Inn.

The now popular Black Pelican restaurant just so happens to be located inside of a building that once served as the sixth (of seven) Lifesaving Stations. All seven stations were responsible for rescuing ships that faced trouble on the open sea. Back in 1884, the Keeper of Station Number 6 was Captain James Hobbs. Hobbs was well respected by his lifesaving crew, and when orders were given, he expected conformity. In July of that year, an argument arose between Hobbs and a member of his crew. A fellow named T.L. Daniels. Now Daniels didn’t enjoy taking orders all that much, and made it a point to show his disapproval for Hobbs. After the Captain had reached his breaking point and decided to no longer tolerate Daniels’ harassment, he shot him square in the head. Daniels was then allegedly buried at sea without any witnesses or officials present, making it so the Captain was never accused or found guilty of the murder. Visitors of The Black Pelican restaurant report that they still to this day sense the spirit of T.L. Daniels roaming around the very area where he was once murdered.

Back in 1587, there were over 100 men and women that traveled from England to Roanoke Island to discover and establish the first English settlement in the new world. As we all know, Virginia Dare was the first English child born in that new colony. A short time after her birth, the colony’s governor, John White, who also happened to be Virginia’s grandfather, sailed back to England to conduct business and retrieve supplies for the settlers. After approximately three years, he returned to find both the settlement and his home had vanished. Even to this very day, the mystery still exists as to what exactly happened to those early settlers. From there this is where the chilling legend was born. The story is often told that Virginia Dare left the colony to live with the Croatoan Indians. One day she got into a heated dispute with a native witch doctor, who put her under a spell, and she was transformed into a white doe. It is said that the ghost of Virginia Dare still roams Roanoke Island in the eerie form of that white deer, and has been reported to be seen frequently on the island.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is often times better known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. And for good reason. There have been more shipwrecks, and lives lost on these barrier islands, per square mile, than anywhere else in the world. These wrecks are all due to shoals, storms, and even war. People have reported seeing ‘ghost ships’ from our shores sailing along the waters of the Atlantic and its adjoining sounds. From those ships, screams and cries for help can even be heard. In the present day, many choose the barrier islands of Outer Banks as their destination vacation. But there is much more to this area than just sandy beaches and beautiful sunsets. The OBX, or often better known, the Graveyard of the Atlantic, is the final resting place for many unfortunate ships and crews. ♦