City: Buxton, NC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (252) 995-4474

Address: Off NC 12

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Description: The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is one of the most beloved and famous lighthouses in the nation, especially after it survived a move of more than 1,600 feet in 1999. The nation’s tallest brick lighthouse at 208 feet, this black-and-white striped beacon was shown the world over as it was precariously jacked up and moved along roll beams to its new location away from the encroaching sea. The monumental relocation project was named the 2000 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The lighthouse now stands the same distance from the Atlantic Ocean as it did when it was first built in 1870. The original Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built in 1803. The tower sat near Cape Point and was only 90 feet tall. Lit with whale oil, it was barely bright enough to be seen offshore. Erosion weakened the structure, and in 1861 Confederate soldiers removed the light’s lens. The current Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was erected in 1870 with more than one million bricks and 257 steps. A special Fresnel lens that refracts light increased its visibility. The lighthouse was 1,600 feet from the ocean when it was built, but by 1987 it was only 120 feet from the crashing waves. After years of study, the National Park Service came to the conclusion that it had to “move it or lose it.” The lighthouse was moved 1,600 feet back from the shore in just a few weeks, from June 17 to July 9, 1999. About 20,000 visitors a day watched. It reopened to the public on May 26, 2000. Its 800,000-candlepower beacon, rotating every seven-and-a-half seconds, can be seen 18 miles out to sea. The view from the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is surreal and unforgettable. Try to make the climb while visiting the historical site. The visitor center, called the Museum of the Sea, and the bookstore, both housed in the historic former keepers’ quarters, were moved to this location before the lighthouse was moved. Restrooms are located here. If you continue past the parking area, you’ll pass the picnic area and the Buxton Woods Nature Trail. If you continue on, you’ll come to the Cape Point Campground and off-road vehicle ramps. The beach here is famous for swimming, sunbathing, surfing, and fishing, and you can take four-wheel-drive vehicles along many sections of the beach year-round. Park rangers and volunteers willingly answer questions and can be found in the visitor center and on the historic district grounds. Visitor center and bookstore hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in season, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. off season, closed only Christmas Day. In Buxton, signs along NC 12 lead you to the lighthouse. To the left you can visit the original lighthouse location, marked by a circle of granite stones that are etched with the names of 83 former lighthouse keepers. To the right are a parking area and the lighthouse’s new location.