Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Things To Do Near Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Each of the three main islands in this National Seashore — Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke — offers more than hiking trails to exercise the legs. Visitors can climb to the heights of lighthouses to find spectacular views of the Outer Banks and the ocean surrounding them. People come from miles around to walk the beaches and to listen to the pounding surf. It's also fascinating to watch the brave surfers who ride waves up and down the islands, and fishing along the shore is another favorite activity that brings visitors from far and wide. At night, visitors sit stunned by the sight of a spectacular sky. 

Hiking Trails

• Open Ponds Trail

  The Open Ponds Trail on Hatteras Island is an in-and-out pathway covering a good portion of the island. The trail flows through an extended sandy area, then onto a grass carpet, and eventually through a pine forest to reach some beautiful open salt ponds filled with waterfowl.

  Location

  Hatteras Island

  Length

  8.9 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

• Hammock Hills Nature Trail

  The Hammock Hills Nature Trail is a loop pathway that features an unlikely environment. The sight of a forest and a marshland inside the surrounding borders of a featureless and desolate beach is somewhat striking. The path leads along a deep sand trail, then across gravel and rocks, and through a pine forest to end at a salt marsh with an impressive overlook.

  Location

  Ocracoke Island

  Length

  0.8 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

Sightseeing

• Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

  Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the most iconic lighthouse in North Carolina and possibly in the United States. At 210 feet in height, it is the tallest brick lighthouse in the country and the world's second-highest building of its kind. 

  Location

  Lighthouse Road, Buxton, Hatteras Island, NC 27920

• Avon Fishing Pier

  The Avon Fishing Pier is the only extended pier remaining in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore from which anglers are allowed to fish. Its crooked length says much about the forces Mother Nature applies to human-made structures. There is no requirement for an angling license to fish here.

  Location

  41001 Highway 12, Avon, Hatteras Island, NC 27915

Museums

• Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

  Shipwrecks are one of the common events that bind the Outer Banks of North Carolina. At the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, visitors learn about the shipwrecks that line the islands up and down the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

  Location

  59200 Museum Drive, Hatteras, NC 27943

• Frisco Native American Museum

  The Frisco Native American Museum houses thousands of artifacts from Native American cultures across the country. One exhibit features Native American artifacts discovered on the outer banks and documentation from early explorers about the indigenous people.

  Location

  53536 NC-12, Frisco, NC 27936

Nearby Shops and Restaurants

• Scarborough Faire Shopping Village

  Visiting the Scarborough Faire Shopping Village returns you to the open-air shopping spaces of the past. Most businesses here operate in an open square, albeit with a tarp covering during the rain or sweltering days, making it an excellent place for family activities as well as shopping. Unlike most shopping malls, this space features local businesses with only a few national franchises sprinkled amongst them.

  Location

  1177 Duck Road, Duck, NC 27959

• Gulf Stream Gifts

  To find those exclusive souvenirs of your trip to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, visit Gulf Stream Gifts. Here, you find exotic gifts such as sculptures of mermaids, replicas of turtles, wind chimes, and sunglasses.

  Location

  2512 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC 27959

• Blue Moon Beach Grill

  It is not often that you find a restaurant located on the sand with an excellent and eclectic menu. At the Blue Moon Beach Grill, you find seafood and traditional entrees graced with a Southern twist. Try the shrimp and grits or the flame-kissed fillet mignon for tastes that your palate will remember forever. 

  Location

  4104 Virginia Dare Trail #16, Nags Head, NC 27959

• Nags Head Café

  Nags Head Café offers a limited menu with excellent results. Though the menu appears traditional, all the plates include a Cajun or a Creole ingredient. Try the house-smoked barbeque for a meal that satisfies while awakening your palate to new possibilities.

  Location

  3948 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC 27959

How To Get To Cape Hatteras National Seashore

There are several roads to Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Nags Head is the entrance to the seashore that is the most used. To get to Nags Head from Raleigh, NC, get onto Interstate 440 East (I-440 E), and drive for 2.4 miles. Take the right ramp onto Interstate 87 North (I-87 N), and go for 17 miles. Keep left to get onto United States Highway 64 (US-64), and continue east for 169 miles into Nags Head.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is open year round. At times, the seashore is closed for emergencies, often because of hurricanes or extreme storms.

Address

1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954

Fee: Entry fee $0

Cape Hatteras is home to some of the greatest mysteries in United States history. The incredible number of shipwrecks, the intrepid rescuers, the pirates of legend, and the repeated hammering by hurricanes make visiting the cape a number-one priority for many Americans. Whether you are looking into the mystery of the Roanoke Island colonists’ disappearances, an ancestor who was lost onboard a wrecked ship, or the strange life and habits of the endangered sea turtle, a visit to Cape Hatteras National Seashore should be on your bucket list. The most comfortable way to stay and to explore the cape is by using an RV. Visit one of the RVshare sites above to find a local RV for you and your family to rent.