City: Avon, NC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (252) 473-3111

Address: 1401 National Park Drive

Description: Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a tremendous treasure for the residents and visitors of the Outer Banks. Here you will find the Outer Banks’ most captivating open spaces, where long reaches of rugged dunes, windblown brush, wide beaches, and soundside wetlands are protected from development. Established in 1953 by the National Park Service and dedicated in 1958, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore includes part of Bodie Island and most of Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, except for the village centers and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. The northern boundary begins south of Whalebone Junction in Nags Head, and the southern boundary is on Ocracoke Island. This was the very first national seashore in the nation. It consists of some of the narrowest land inhabitable by humans—skinny stretches of sand often less than a half mile wide. The national seashore provides miles-long stretches where there is not one simple structure obscuring the view. Wildlife, waterfowl, and seabirds are abundant in the national seashore, including the American oystercatcher and the threatened piping plover. Sea turtles survive here, too, as they often come ashore to lay eggs on the beaches in summer. Designated shorebird and sea-turtle sanctuaries are well marked for protection on the beaches. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches are some of the cleanest and least crowded on the East Coast. If you’re looking for solitary recreational space or simple peace and quiet, you’ll find it here. Most of the beaches do not have lifeguards, however, so make sure you know swimming safety precautions before going in. Lifeguards are stationed in summer at Coquina Beach on Bodie Island, at the beach near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and at the Ocracoke Guarded Beach. Numerous access points are offered all along NC 12, the highway that threads through the seashore. Three of the Outer Banks’ four lighthouses are located within this national seashore, and there are four campgrounds in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Camping is prohibited on the beach.Three visitor centers are established in the national seashore. The Bodie Island Visitor Center (252-441-5711) is on NC 12, in Nags Head heading south. The Cape Hatteras Visitor Center (252-995-4474) is in Buxton next to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The Ocracoke Island Visitor Center (252-928-4531) is near the Cedar Island ferry dock. All provide extensive information on camping and activities in the national seashore. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is dedicated to community outreach and has summer programs to help visitors learn more about the natural surroundings. The National Park Service provides guided beach walks, bird walks, campfires, fishing trips, history tours, dozens of kids programs, snorkeling trips, turtle talks, and much more. The schedules are lengthy, so the best way to find out about programs is to pick up the information at one of the visitor centers or call ahead and have it mailed to you. Driving on the beach is allowed in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore at certain access points only. Four-wheel-drive vehicles may enter only at designated ramps. Soundside off-road travel is permitted on established roads or trails. Off-road access ramps are available at the visitor centers. Beach bonfires require a permit. Several day-use areas are available throughout the area, and nature trails provide visitors with an up-close look at the seashore environments. Personal watercraft like Jet Skis and WaveRunners are prohibited in Cape Hatteras National Seashore.