The 165 foot tower received its distinguished black and white checkers in 1873, the same year the 1870 Cape Hatteras tower received its black and white stripes and the brand new Bodie Island received its black and white bands. These lighthouses would be recorded in history as the nation's leading examples of maritime daymarks as well as coastal lights. Cape Lookout can be reached by boat or ferry from Harkers Island to
Cape Lookout National Seashore.
