The
Core Banks are
barrier islands in
North Carolina, part of the
Outer Banks and
Cape Lookout National Seashore. Named after the
Coree tribe, they extend from
Ocracoke Inlet to
Cape Lookout, and consist of two low-relief narrow islands,
North Core Banks and
South Core Banks, and, since September 2011, two smaller islands.
New Drum Inlet, Old Drum Inlet and Ophelia Inlet now separate the islands. The Core Banks are now uninhabited. However,
Portsmouth, at the north end of the North Core Banks, was once a substantial port, and
Cape Lookout Village, about two miles south of the
Cape Lookout Lighthouse, contains the historic Lookout Life-Saving Station, a
U.S. Coast Guard Station, and several island homes.