A fenced pasture on NC-12 lets you watch Ocracoke's wild ponies without ever leaving your car
North of Ocracoke village, a fenced pasture along NC-12 holds the island's wild ponies — a small, protected herd that island legend traces back to Spanish mustangs that swam ashore from a colonial-era shipwreck centuries ago. Whatever their exact origin, the ponies have grazed this stretch of the National Seashore for generations, and the National Park Service eventually fenced them in largely to keep them off a highway they once wandered freely. What's left is one of the simplest, most reliable stops on the island: pull off NC-12, walk out to the viewing platform, and watch the herd graze, doze, or move through the marsh grass at their own pace.
566 reviews
4 months ago
Sometimes there are ponies present; sometimes there are not but you go right by it from the vehicle ferry dock on Ocracoke on your way to the village, so it is a traditional stop on our visits. This time we saw a ponies that were palomino, a white, a brown and white paint, and a dark brown. There is an elevated observation platform which helps get a better view. There is typically plenty of parking too.
3 months ago
Very peaceful calm experience to see the ponies and the beach across the street with almost no crowd in sight. Also a porter potty on the beach side. The employees at the pony pen do an excellent job putting hay at strategic places so the ponies get close to the viewing wall by the parking lot. We saw them perfectly at 830-915 am on Saturday.
2 months ago
Cool place to stop if you enjoy staring at horses (which I do), but could be improved by providing information to visitors via information signs or displays. A roof over the platform to provide visitors shade would also be welcome!
5 months ago
It’s always wonderful to see horses. Don’t miss the pasture on the other side of the road where the walking dock is.
11 months ago
Rainy day, but that didn't stop the ponies from grazing and kicking up mud. Plenty of food and fresh water is avaliable for them. They just seemed to love nature's mud water!