Pony Island Inn

A short walk from Silver Lake Harbor in the heart of ferry-only Ocracoke village

(547)

Ocracoke, NC

About

Pony Island Inn sits on Irvin Garrish Highway in the heart of Ocracoke village, an easy walk from Silver Lake Harbor and the working waterfront that has anchored this community for generations. Because Ocracoke has no bridge or road link to the mainland, every guest arrives by boat: the free NC ferry from Hatteras village, the longer toll routes from Cedar Island or Swan Quarter, or a short flight into the island's small airstrip. Landing somewhere central to the village, rather than out on the undeveloped stretch of island to the north, makes settling in after the crossing that much simpler.

Exploring From the Village

From here, the village's shops, restaurants, and Silver Lake itself are all within walking distance, and NC-12 runs north toward the rest of the island's undeveloped shoreline. That drive passes the fenced pasture where Ocracoke's wild ponies are kept, the turnoff for Ocracoke Lighthouse — built in 1823 and still North Carolina's oldest operating light, though it has never been open for public climbing — and the numbered beach-access ramps into Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where a valid NPS permit allows driving on the sand. Back in the village, Springer's Point protects a stand of maritime forest long tied to Blackbeard, who was killed in a battle in Ocracoke Inlet in 1718.

Ocracoke's remoteness is worth keeping in mind during hurricane season, roughly June through November with the real risk window in August, September, and October — ferry suspensions and mandatory evacuations happen here more readily than almost anywhere else on the Outer Banks, simply because there's no bridge to drive out on.

Reviews (547)

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4.6

547 reviews

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Shirley Toms

in the last week

The rooms were comfortable and had everything we needed. The staff were friendly and helpful. The beds were very comfortable and my grandchildren loved the pool. Location is great!

Celiana Mariez

in the last week

We spent my partner’s birthday in Ocracoke and loved our stay at Pony Island Inn. The rooms are fairly priced for summer season especially compared with other accommodations on the island. I was initially skeptical because the rate was lower than what I would normally expect to pay for a place with good amenities and service but it was clean, comfortable, and well-kept. Golf cart and bike rentals are available but during our visit they were sold out. However, the hotel is conveniently close to the only grocery store and 2 cart rental places in town. Very close to Howard’s Pub and a brewery. Close to the exit for the beach access and the Pony Pen. The wifi is fast and the doors are security code operated. Bathroom water pressure is good and air condition is working well. We originally planned to stay for just one night, but we enjoyed Ocracoke so much that after checking out and literally heading toward the ferry terminal, we changed our minds, turned around, and checked back in for another night. I do want to mention one issue we experienced with housekeeping, although it did not affect my overall rating because management handled it very well. On the morning of checkout, a housekeeper tried to open our door around 9 AM. Thankfully we had the double lock on. We assumed it was an honest mistake, but around 10:30 AM, she tried opening the door again and then yelled through the door that we were supposed to check out at 11 which was confusing considering it wasn’t even 11 yet. We brought it to management’s attention because we had never experienced anything like that with housekeeping before. Lily at the front desk handled the situation well and was very professional about it. Management seemed to know exactly which employee we were referring to. As we were leaving, we also heard the same housekeeper yelling at guests in another room, who were yelling back at her, so our experience didn’t seem to be an isolated incident. That aside, we genuinely had such a fun stay and would absolutely stay here again. The location is convenient, the property is well maintained. For the price, I think it’s a great value on Ocracoke. Since the hotels on the island aren’t beachfront anyway, I personally don’t see much reason to pay significantly more just to stay elsewhere especially when some of the pricier options are in busier parts of the village where traffic can get congested. I highly recommend Pony Island Inn.

Margaret Birch

in the last week

First I just want to tell anyone booking a room to be careful. Go straight to Pony Island Inn and call them to schedule. I thought I could do it on line but it took me to Booking.com. They have extra fees and if you need to change anything you have to talk to them, which is difficult. The person I talked to was in Amsterdam. Everything else was ok. Just ok. Restaurant was closed that weekend and when they’re open it is just breakfast. We didn’t get to try it.

Corinne Kuziw

in the last week

We just had an amazing weekend at the Pony. Perfect for a couples getaway, family retreat or a group trip. We had a group family trip and the bungalow area is a perfect setup for that. We will be back again and again!

Joyce Sager

4 weeks ago

Awesome place friendly staff looking forward to staying there again