Barden Inlet, the southernmost inlet in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, lies just northwest of Cape Lookout and connects Onslow Bay on the Atlantic Ocean with Core Sound, separating Shackleford Banks from Core Banks. It was created by the Outer Banks Hurricane of 1933, which cut a new channel through the barrier islands. The opening soon became important to fishermen from Harkers Island by giving them a more direct route to offshore fishing grounds. Named for U.S. Congressman Graham Barden, who backed legislation for Army Corps of Engineers dredging, the inlet remains a major natural and practical feature of the Cape Lookout area.