Springer's Point is a nature preserve at the southern tip of Ocracoke village, owned by the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust. A short trail winds through ancient live oaks and cedar forest to the water's edge — the same inlet, Teach's Hole Channel, where Blackbeard was killed in 1718. The preserve is quiet and easy to miss, but the setting has barely changed in three centuries. The trail takes about 20 minutes to walk. In the village itself, plaques and markers at several spots tell the broader story of Blackbeard's career and his connection to the island.
Springer's Point and Blackbeard History
A story
On the morning of 22 November 1718, Blackbeard's crew anchored in Teach's Hole Channel off Springer's Point. Lieutenant Maynard's men had spent the night waiting. In the battle that followed, Blackbeard was shot five times and cut twenty times before he finally fell. According to Maynard's account, he kept fighting even after the first several wounds. He was 38 years old.