2016 Map of Wainwright Island

About this map

Cape Lookout National Seashore dominates this coastal survey, preserving a narrow ribbon of the Outer Banks as they stretch between the Atlantic Ocean and Core Sound. This environment is defined by shifting sands and isolated landforms like Portsmouth Island and the North Core Banks. The landscape is a complex network of shoals and small islands, including Harbor Island and the Pilontary Islands, which separate the sounds from the open sea. Inland, features like Merkle Hammock and the George Hills provide slight elevations in an otherwise low-lying maritime reach. The presence of Old House Beach and The Sands reflects the coastal processes that continuously reshape this portion of Carteret County.