Diamond City

North Carolina's ghost towns start with America's first gold rush in 1799 and run through timber and textile mill villages.

Diamond City was a settlement on the eastern end of Shackleford Banks, in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Shackleford Banks is the westernmost island of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, which extends for 56 miles from Beaufort Inlet to Ocracoke Inlet. Originally named Lookout Woods, the title was later renamed to symbolize the black diamonds painted on the Light Station in Shackleford Banks. In the late 19th century, many small settlements were created along the Shackleford Banks.

Calling it Diamond City was either optimism or a very good joke — boomtowns were never modest about their ambitions.

Little stands at Diamond City today beyond foundations and scattered traces. Foundation-only sites reward visitors who enjoy reading a landscape — bring an old plat map or historic photo if you can find one, and the vanished streets start to reappear.

Public access makes Diamond City one of the easier ghost towns to actually stand in — though "public" in ghost-town country can still mean miles of dirt road, so check recent trip reports first.

Diamond City is publicly accessible — but give the word "accessible" some respect. Out here it can still mean miles of unmaintained dirt road. Check recent trip reports, carry extra water and a spare tire, download offline maps, and let someone know your route. The mapped point for Diamond City is roughly 34.6450, -76.5410 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.

The ground itself demands respect: open mine shafts, collapsing floors, and old wells hide in tall grass, cell service is often nonexistent, and help can be hours away. Tell someone your plans, pack more water than you think you'll need — and save the early morning or late afternoon light for your camera.

Want the full story? The Wikipedia article on "Diamond City, North Carolina" covers Diamond City in more depth — find the link in Sources below. County archives, historic newspaper collections, and the state historical society are the next stops after that: plat maps, census rolls, and old photographs fill in what a short visit can't. If you make the trip, consider sharing your photos and notes — firsthand reports are how the record of Diamond City gets better.