1950 Map of Howard Reef

About this map

Ocracoke Island sits at a narrow, shifting threshold between the Atlantic Ocean and the expansive Pamlico Sound. This 1950 survey, updated with 1970 aerial data, reveals a fragile coastal topography of dunes and hammocks including First Hammock Hills and Parkers Hill. While much of the area is protected as the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the map documents human presence at Dicks Camp and Cass Williams Camp along the sound side. The landscape is defined by natural features such as Knoll Cedars and various small creeks like Knoll House Cr and Try Yard Cr that pierce the thin strip of land. To the west, the submerged Howard Reef stretches into the sound, and the northeast corner marks the critical passage at Hatteras Inlet.