Bodie Island
Encyclopedia
Bodie Island is a long, narrow barrier
peninsula
that forms the northernmost portion of the Outer Banks
of North Carolina
. The land that is most commonly referred to as Bodie Island was at one time a true island
, however the inlet
separating it from the Currituck Banks peninsula in the north closed. As a result, the Currituck Banks and Bodie Island are now one contiguous peninsula, joined together at the Nags Head
area, where the inlet once flowed. Today, either name can be used to refer to peninsula as a whole, but both portions colloquially retain their historical names.
From the southern tip at Oregon Inlet
, the peninsula stretches largely northwest out of North Carolina and into Virginia Beach
, Virginia
to join the mainland at Sandbridge
near the north shore of Back Bay
. The entire peninsula is approximately 72 miles in length, following the shoreline.
The peninsula is home to two lighthouses, Bodie Island Light
and Currituck Beach Light
. The Wright Brothers National Monument also has a beacon and is found on the peninsula. Jockey's Ridge, the tallest sand dune on the East Coast
, is found on the peninsula. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore
protects the southernmost part of Bodie Island, and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
and False Cape State Park
protect portions of the Virginia part of the peninsula.
.
Inlets frequently open and close along the Outer Banks
, making landform naming inconsistent. Bodie Island, when it was an island, extended more south than it does today. The island was originally formed around 1738, when New Inlet
opened, separating Bodie Island from Hatteras Island
to the south. The opening of Oregon Inlet
in 1846 truncated the southern portion of Bodie Island, forming a new island situated between Bodie and Hatteras. The new barrier island was given the name Pea Island, but the wider, more powerful Oregon Inlet led to the eventual closure of New Inlet around 1933. Pea Island had thus become a part of Hatteras Island.
Near the North Carolina-Virginia state line, the Currituck Inlet once existed, which made the Currituck Banks an island of its own. This inlet served as the boundary between the two states in the early 18th century. http://www.surveyhistory.org/va_&_nc_bounary_line.htm
In the book A New Voyage to Carolina John Lawson (explorer) mentions Bodies Island just once when discussing fauna
of North Carolina, in particular species of rabbits. He wrote the following: "I was told of several that were upon Bodies Island by Ronoak, which came from that Ship of Bodies;" This would indicate that Bodie Island was so named as early as 1709.
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
that forms the northernmost portion of the Outer Banks
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The land that is most commonly referred to as Bodie Island was at one time a true island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
, however the inlet
Inlet
An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water, often leading to an enclosed body of water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon or marsh. In sea coasts an inlet usually refers to the actual connection between a bay and the ocean and is often called an...
separating it from the Currituck Banks peninsula in the north closed. As a result, the Currituck Banks and Bodie Island are now one contiguous peninsula, joined together at the Nags Head
Nags Head, North Carolina
Nags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,700 at the 2000 census.-History:Early maps of the area show Nags Head as a promontory of land characterized by high sand dunes visible from miles at sea...
area, where the inlet once flowed. Today, either name can be used to refer to peninsula as a whole, but both portions colloquially retain their historical names.
From the southern tip at Oregon Inlet
Oregon Inlet
Oregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by a 2.5 mile bridge that spans the inlet...
, the peninsula stretches largely northwest out of North Carolina and into Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to join the mainland at Sandbridge
Sandbridge, Virginia Beach, Virginia
thumb|250px|A view of a Sandbridge beach from a pierSandbridge, in the U.S. state of Virginia, is a coastal community of Virginia Beach, located along the coastline at the northern end of the Outer Banks. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east, the Back Bay of the Currituck Sound is to the west, and...
near the north shore of Back Bay
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Virginia is located in the independent city of Virginia Beach. Established in 1938 in isolated portion of Princess Anne County, it is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service....
. The entire peninsula is approximately 72 miles in length, following the shoreline.
Places of interest
Bodie Island Light
The current Bodie Island Lighthouse is the third that has stood in this vicinity of Bodie Island on the Outer Banks in North Carolina and was built in 1872. It stands tall and is located on the Roanoke Sound side of the first island that is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The...
and Currituck Beach Light
Currituck Beach Light
The Currituck Beach Light is a lighthouse located on the Outer Banks in Corolla, North Carolina. An example of Gothic Revival architecture, the Currituck Beach Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1973.-History:...
. The Wright Brothers National Monument also has a beacon and is found on the peninsula. Jockey's Ridge, the tallest sand dune on the East Coast
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
, is found on the peninsula. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Hatteras National Seashore preserves the portion of the Outer Banks of North Carolina from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island, stretching over . Included within this section of barrier islands along N.C...
protects the southernmost part of Bodie Island, and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Virginia is located in the independent city of Virginia Beach. Established in 1938 in isolated portion of Princess Anne County, it is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service....
and False Cape State Park
False Cape State Park
False Cape State Park is a state park in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is a mile-wide barrier spit between Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The park adjoins the state border with North Carolina and lies shortly north of Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge...
protect portions of the Virginia part of the peninsula.
History
Bodie Island was originally known as Bodies Island or Body's Island since the area was originally settled by the Body family. Folklore, however, attributes the naming of the island to the dead "bodies" of the ships that ran aground and sunk off the Outer Banks in what is now known as the Graveyard of the AtlanticGraveyard of the Atlantic
Graveyard of the Atlantic is a nickname of two locations known for numerous shipwrecks: the treacherous waters in the Atlantic Ocean along the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the Virginia coastline south of the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay at Cape Henry; and around Sable Island, off the coast...
.
Inlets frequently open and close along the Outer Banks
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
, making landform naming inconsistent. Bodie Island, when it was an island, extended more south than it does today. The island was originally formed around 1738, when New Inlet
New Inlet
New Inlet was an inlet along the Outer Banks of North Carolina joining the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean. It has not existed since 1933.-History:...
opened, separating Bodie Island from Hatteras Island
Hatteras Island
Hatteras Island is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, it runs parallel to the coast, forming a bend at Cape Hatteras. It is part of North Carolina's Outer Banks and includes the towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton,...
to the south. The opening of Oregon Inlet
Oregon Inlet
Oregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by a 2.5 mile bridge that spans the inlet...
in 1846 truncated the southern portion of Bodie Island, forming a new island situated between Bodie and Hatteras. The new barrier island was given the name Pea Island, but the wider, more powerful Oregon Inlet led to the eventual closure of New Inlet around 1933. Pea Island had thus become a part of Hatteras Island.
Near the North Carolina-Virginia state line, the Currituck Inlet once existed, which made the Currituck Banks an island of its own. This inlet served as the boundary between the two states in the early 18th century. http://www.surveyhistory.org/va_&_nc_bounary_line.htm
In the book A New Voyage to Carolina John Lawson (explorer) mentions Bodies Island just once when discussing fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
of North Carolina, in particular species of rabbits. He wrote the following: "I was told of several that were upon Bodies Island by Ronoak, which came from that Ship of Bodies;" This would indicate that Bodie Island was so named as early as 1709.
Localities
The following is a list of places found on the peninsula, listed from south to north.- Nags Head, North CarolinaNags Head, North CarolinaNags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,700 at the 2000 census.-History:Early maps of the area show Nags Head as a promontory of land characterized by high sand dunes visible from miles at sea...
- Kill Devil Hills, North CarolinaKill Devil Hills, North CarolinaKill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, USA. The population was 5,897 at the 2000 census.Nearby Kitty Hawk is frequently cited as the location of the Wright brothers' first controlled, powered airplane flights on December 17, 1903...
- Kitty Hawk, North CarolinaKitty Hawk, North CarolinaKitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,000 at the 2000 census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk....
- Southern Shores, North CarolinaSouthern Shores, North CarolinaSouthern Shores is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,714 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Southern Shores is located at ....
- Duck, North Carolina
- Corolla, North CarolinaCorolla, North CarolinaCorolla is an unincorporated community located in Poplar Branch township, Currituck County, North Carolina along the northern Outer Banks. It has a permanent population of approximately 500 people; during the summer vacation season, the population surges into the thousands...
- Carova Beach, North CarolinaCarova Beach, North CarolinaCarova Beach or Carova is an unincorporated community in Currituck County in the extreme northeast corner of North Carolina, USA. The community, which is found on Currituck Banks, north of Bodie Island, can only be accessed by boat or by four-wheel drive vehicle since there are no paved roads...
- Sandbridge, Virginia