Across the shallow waters of Core Sound and Back Sound, a low string of islands appears to float on the horizon, barely above the waves. Along with their soundside marshes and surrounding waters, these barrier islands form Cape Lookout National Seashore, which is reachable only by boat. Much of the land is only a thin edge, in many places less than a few hundred yards wide, and life there is shaped by the wild Atlantic, whose winds and longshore currents constantly reshape the islands. South Core Banks, one of the seashore’s three barrier islands, stretches for 20 miles, though only about one-quarter of it is visible from this point. Core Sound is shallow and everchanging, demanding the right boat and an experienced pilot, and competing currents at Shell Point reflect on a small scale the same island-shaping forces at work at Cape Lookout. Cape Lookout Lighthouse became operational in 1859 as part of the enduring effort to guide ships through intense storms and shifting shoals. Despite the area’s dynamic nature, Cape Lookout has a long history of human settlement, including the lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters, a historic Coast Guard Station, and the surviving structures of the Cape Village Historic District. Shackleford Banks is a wider island, with dunes tall enough to shield a maritime forest where wild horses find shelter, and the protected waters of Back Sound provide breeding grounds for a rich array of marine life.