Beaufort combines maritime history with a natural area just across from the historic town: the Rachel Carson Reserve lies along Taylor’s Creek. More than 200 bird species have been observed there. If you’re weighing nature-focused and cultural activities, access is also an important distinction.
Access to Nature and the Waterfront
The Rachel Carson Reserve can be reached only by private boat or passenger ferry. Canoes and kayaks can be launched at designated spots along Beaufort’s waterfront. If you plan to take a passenger ferry, check its schedule in advance. Traveling by water is therefore a distinct part of planning your visit.
On land, Front Street offers a different experience: it’s a Beaufort waterfront promenade, with a harbor that’s easy to explore on foot, historic homes, and attractions that reflect the town’s long maritime history. The difference is practical: reaching the Reserve requires a boat, while the harbor along Front Street is easy to explore on foot.
Coastal Life at the Maritime Museum
The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort offers insight into life on the coast. Its topics include lighthouses and lifesaving stations, the fishing and seafood industries, and motorboats. The exhibits span everything from navigation and rescue at sea to fishing and boats—different facets of coastal life brought together at the museum.
The museum also houses artifacts from Blackbeard’s sunken flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge. These include cannons, cannonballs, belt buckles, and beads. Alongside the broader coastal themes, these objects offer a tangible connection to a particular ship and its story.
Historic Sites: The Region and the Cemetery
The Beaufort Historic Site is located in the center of a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site covers two acres and offers insight into the Carolina coast of the 18th and 19th centuries. Its focus is thus on placing the region in historical context across two centuries.
The Old Burying Ground is Beaufort’s oldest cemetery and was established in the early 18th century. Its weathered gravestones document the heritage of North Carolina’s third-oldest town and the surrounding coast. For a self-guided visit, pick up maps inside the cemetery gate or at the Welcome Center on Turner Street. The historic sites offer different perspectives: the Historic Site presents the coastal region, while the cemetery illustrates local heritage through its gravestones.
Watch Wooden Boatbuilding
The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center carries on North Carolina’s coastal tradition of wooden boatbuilding through wooden boatbuilding classes. From the viewing platform, visitors can watch boats take shape, from the frame construction through to completion. The classes and platform offer different perspectives on the same craft: boatbuilding as a subject and the visible progress of the work.
Explore more destinations: Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle, Sealevel, Morehead City, Newport, Cape Carteret, Indian Beach, Harkers Island
For the broader travel overview: Carteret County.
