Seaside Vacations

Oregon Inlet?  But it’s in North Carolina not Oregon.  

“The Inlet”, as it is referred to by locals, is a large stretch of water connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound.  It is the only outlet to the Atlantic from Virginia to Hatteras, NC, and it plays a crucial role to commercial and recreational boaters and fishermen.  The Inlet is a costly and difficult subject to manage because it migrates to the South at about 100 feet per year, but this is the price we pay for trying to harness a sandbar.    

But why such an out of place name?  Oregon Inlet was created as the result of an infamous hurricane that ripped into the Outer Banks in September 1846.  During the storm, a vessel traveling off the coast of the Outer Banks, the Oregon, was desperate to stay afloat.  A huge wave picked the boat up and dropped it on a shallow sandbar.  As the water rushed back out to sea it cut the Island and The Inlet was formed.  Oregon was able to get back to the Atlantic and home safely, and the thus the name was born.   

It is unclear if the legend is true, but this is the explanation you will get from locals and employees of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.  

Written by Brennan Jones