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Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the "Graveyard of the Atlantic"
Stretched over 70 miles of barrier islands, Cape Hatteras National Seashore
is a fascinating combination of natural and cultural resources, and provides a
wide variety of recreational opportunities. Once dubbed the "Graveyard of the
Atlantic" for its treacherous currents, shoals, and storms, Cape Hatteras has a
wealth of history relating to shipwrecks, lighthouses, and the U.S. Lifesaving
Service. The islands provide a variety of habitats and are a valuable wintering
area for migrating waterfowl. The park's fishing and surfing are considered the
best on the east coast.
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From Nags Head to Ocracoke Inlet, Cape Hatteras National Seashore offers
birding, boating, camping, cycling, fishing, surfing and seashells. (All photos
courtesy NPS)
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The first national seashore in the country, Cape
Hatteras National Seashore, extends from south Nags Head to Ocracoke Inlet and
includes Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island in its 30,000 acres. The park
offers birding, boating, camping, cycling, fishing, surfing and seashells with
natural and historic attractions thrown in.
Birding is a year-round activity.
The summer months are an excellent time for viewing terns and herons. Spring and
fall viewing choices are migrating songbirds, hawks and shorebirds. The winter
months bring a variety of migrating waterfowl. Recommended areas for birding
include the area south of Cape Point Campground and Buxton Woods Nature Trail,
both near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Other areas include the Hammock Hills
Nature Trail on Ocracoke Island and Pea Island National Wildlife
Refuge.
Spring and Fall at Cape Hatteras offer what many consider to be the
best fishing on the East Coast. Most of the beach and sound is open to fishing.
Fishing piers are available in the villages of Rodanthe, Frisco and Avon.
Legend says the Ocracoke ponies are survivors of shipwrecked European
explorers in the 16th or 17th century.
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National Park Service boat ramps are located at the Oregon Inlet Marina and near
the ferry office in Ocracoke village. Charters and head-boat services are
available at local marinas. No license or permits are required for salt-water
fishing along the Seashore. Limited fresh-water fishing is available which
requires a North Carolina fishing license.
Camping on the National Seashore
is limited to campgrounds at Oregon Inlet, Cape Point, Frisco, and Ocracoke. The
season runs generally from May into September. Memorial Day through Labor Day
reservations are accepted only for Ocracoke through Biospherics, Inc. by calling
1-800-365-CAMP. Fees are $20.00 per night for all campgrounds. Golden Age and
Golden Access Passport holders pay 50% of these fees. Campsites accommodate
tents, trailers and motor homes for a 14-day maximum stay and are assigned on a
first-come, first-serve basis. Restrooms, potable water, cold-water showers,
grills and picnic tables are provided. No utility hookups are available. Dump
stations are located near Oregon Inlet, Cape Point and Ocracoke campgrounds.
Private campgrounds outside the National Park offer additional facilities
for recreational vehicles. Some are open year-round.
Interpretive programs
are offered by National Park Rangers regularly. They include evening campfires,
bird walks, beach walks, and learning about shipwrecks or pirates. Surfing or
wind-boarding are popular sports with several good locations on the Outer Banks,
including at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge,
and just north of the village of Buxton. Depending on your abilities, you may
chose to swim on the Pamlico Sound side, or the Atlantic Ocean. The sound is
shallow and is not subject to the strong ocean currents, except around
inlets.
There are several self-guided trails, averaging one mile each along
the Seashore. Longer hikes can be taken along the dikes at Pea Island National
Wildlife Refuge and on the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which runs
through the Seashore.
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Completed in 1803, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in
North America. |
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest in the nation
and famous symbol of North Carolina. The lighthouse site houses a visitors
center that is open daily 9am-5pm; (252-473-2111) throughout the year and houses
displays on the island's maritime history. The beacon from the light can be seen
some 20-miles out to sea and has warned sailors for more than 100 years of the
treacherous Diamond Shoals, the shallow sandbars which extend some 14 miles out
into the ocean off Cape Hatteras.
RVers can reach Cape Hatteras National
Seashore on North Carolina Highway 12. From the north, entrance is through Nags
Head, NC. From the south, use state-run ferries leaving Cedar Island or Swan
Quarter for Ocracoke Island. Reservations are required and fees are based upon
vehicle size and type. The state-operated ferry linking Ocracoke and Hatteras
Islands are free. (call 800-BY-FERRY for information). Although the beach and
sound are accessible by foot, there are also designated four-wheeled drive ramps
to reach them.
Closed sections are well marked. Bicycling is hazardous on the
islands because of narrow roadways.
Visitor Centers:
Bodie Island Visitor
Center, Hatteras Island Visitor Center and Ocracoke Visitor Center are open all
year, 9:00 am-6:00 pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and 9:00 am-5:00 pm
the remainder of the year.
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