Ft. Macon State Park
Located along the southern shores of North Carolina's Outer Banks, Fort Macon State Park is one of the many features of the Tar Heel State's Crystal Coast. Fort Macon sits on the eastern tip of the Bogue Banks, a barrier island between Bogue Sound and Onslow Bay. Early in the 19th century, Fort Macon was built to protect Beaufort Inlet and the towns of Beaufort and Morehead City from pirate raids and powerful European Navies. The fort saw relatively little action and inhabitancy from its completion in 1834 to the start of the Civil War in 1861. Interestingly, the fort sat unoccupied except for a single caretaker for 20 of the 27 years between 1834 and 1861.
Confederate Soldiers took over the fort in April 1861. However, it would only last in Confederate hands for one year, as Union forces under General Ambrose Burnside captured the Fort on April 26, 1862. Fort Macon remained under Union control for the remainder of the war and served as a prison during Reconstruction. It would sit empty for 21 years until it was hastily re-garrisoned in 1898 for coastal protection during the Spanish-American War. In 1903, the fort sat empty once again until World War II. Fort Macon was then outfitted with modern arms and troops to defend the Beaufort Inlet against German submarines. Although the fort saw no action, several American vessels and even a German submarine were sunk nearby.
 |
| These guns were put in place at Fort Macon during World War II to defend the coast and shipping from German U-Boats. |
Today, Fort Macon State Park is one of North Carolina's most popular parks, attracting over one million visitors annually. Fort Macon was sold to the state in 1924 for one dollar. After the purchase, Fort Macon became North Carolina's second state park. It took another decade for the park to be restored for use. The fort's active duty in World War II technically lasted until 1946, when the military returned the property to the state.
 |
| A restored exhibit gives a sample of what life was like within Fort Macon. Soldiers slept four to a two bed bunk and would receive a monthly hay ration for use as a mattress. |
After Hurricane Florence heavily damaged the interior display areas within the fort in 2018, a large restoration project began, finishing in 2021. The restored exhibits are a great feature inside the fort. Here, you can get an accurate look at what life was like within the fort during the 19th century.
 |
| Fort Macon State Park offers guided tours of the fort's grounds. |
If you can, I highly recommend the guided tour of the fort. The guide takes you throughout the fort, telling anecdotes and interesting facts about Fort Macon and those who occupied it. The tour is free, lasts about 45 minutes, and occurs three times daily from April to October. The park offers many other tours and demonstrations throughout the year.
Other features within the park include sand dunes and nature trails around Beaufort Inlet. You can still find many remnants of the defenses used during the Second World War. The stone jetties protecting the shore from beach erosion were first designed by Robert E. Lee in 1840.
All photos taken by post author - March 13, 2025.
Sources & Links:
Update Log:
- First Published: June 19, 2003
- Moved to gribblenation.org - August 9, 2016
- Updated with new pictures, text, and grammar/spelling corrections - May 23, 2025
Comments