NATIONAL PARK SERVICE · events
Starlight Cruise to Cape Lookout Lighthouse
October 9, 2026 · Source: National Park Service
Join a park ranger for a starry night beside the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. The park ranger will give a program about different constellations, stories about using the stars for navigation, and more. Enjoy the first International Dark Sky Park on the East Coast. Visitors will experience the night skies with the sound of the waves crashing along the shore. Island Express Ferry Service will be taking visitors from Harkers Island Visitor Center to Cape Lookout Lighthouse by passenger ferry. Ferry passengers will disembark from the starlight cruise for a laser-pointed tour of the night sky by a park ranger. Visitors should bring chairs, bug spray, jackets, and red-light flashlights. The program will be around the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, where chairs are not available. Restrooms are available at the Light Station Visitor Center and at Harkers Island Visitor Center. This program is weather dependent. If rain or wind is predicted, the event will be canceled.
Read the official NPS sourceWhat Travelers Need to Know
NPS reports a change to this program’s schedule. Confirm the replacement date and whether the event will take place with the official park listing or visitor center before traveling; the published calendar date may no longer apply.
Check the official event listing for current times, availability and any changes.
Traveler guidance by State & Nation Staff Writer.