"Bodie is pronounced Body" Bodie Island by grandmaR

Bodie Island diagram

The name Bodie was originally spelled Body and is still pronounced "body" (as in "a body of water"). No one really knows the origin of the name. Maybe it was because so many bodies washed ashore from shipwrecks. Others believe it was the name of someone who helped build the light or was stationed there.

The building of the lighthouse was supervised by Dexter Stetson, who supervised the construction of Cape Hatteras. He used many of the same construction techniques that made the Hatteras lighthouse so strong. The method of "Stacking" was used where timber pilings below the ground were placed and granite blocks were built above the base. After the construction of Hatteras, there were many unused materials. Many of these were used during the construction of Bodie Island Lighthouse

The first keeper of Bodie Island Lighthouse was paid an annual salary of $400. Bodie Island was really an island and the only access to schools for the keeper's children was by boat.

Vegetation near Oregon Inlet

There are extensive nature trails in the park which cover a great distance. Most of the area around the lighthouse is marsh, so there are plenty of biting insects to make you uncomfortable during the summer and fall.

The area in general hosts thousands of wintering snow geese, tundra swans, and shore birds during both spring and fall migrations.

• In a nutshell:Lighthouse and Sports Fishing Inlet