The Bodie Island Light and its distinctive black and white bands was built only a few years later by the same crew that constructed the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This 156-foot structure can be found west of NC Route 12, just north of Oregon Inlet. The tower's massive base is open to those wishing to see inside it from Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10 AM to 4 PM.

This is the third lighthouse to be built at this site. The first fell because of poor construction, Confederates destroyed the second, but this 1872 light rises 156 feet above the sea. It's First Fresnel Lens still turns on at dusk each evening. The tower was painted with black and white horizontal bands for better visibility in the daytime.