Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a 24,470-acre National Park protecting a portion of North Carolina's Outer Banks in Dare and Hyde Counties.  The very first national seashore, Cape Hatteras authorized by Congress in 1937 and was established as a national seashore in 1953.  Much of the funds to purchase the land were donated by philanthropist Paul Mellon.  Today, the park contains miles and miles of sandy beaches, a museum and two lighthouses.  Off-road driving is allowed on some portions of the seashore.

Contact Information:

1401 National Park Drive
Manteo, NC 27954

Phone: (252) 473-2111

Map:

Beach:

Cape Hatteras is best known for its miles of beautiful beaches.

If swimming, use caution as rip currents are possible.  Here's a video of the beach with strong surf conditions.

Trails:

Besides many miles of sandy beaches, there are several hiking trails in the seashore to explore away from the beach.  Additionally, Segment 18 of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs through the park.

Open Ponds Trail:

Open Ponds Trail runs 4.5 miles from Lighthouse Road at the British Cemetery to Frisco Campground.  This trail is part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Points of Interest:

Bodie Island Lighthouse:

Bodie Island Lighthouse is located south of Nag's Head before crossing onto Pea Island. There is a visitor center here and you can climb the lighthouse.

British Cemetery:

During World War II, the British Navy sailed to the US to help protect against German submarine attacks.  A cemetery in Buxton is dedicated to those British sailors who lost their lives.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse:

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located at Cape Point near Buxton.  The lighthouse was moved to its current location in 1999 due to sea erosion.

Camping:

Camping is permitted only in designated campgrounds.  There are 4 campgrounds on the seashore.  Reservations can be made at recreation.gov.

Oregon Inlet Campground:

Oregon Inlet Campground is the northernmost campground, located at the southern end of Bodie Island.  There are 120 sites, some with utility hookups.  The campground is open year round.

Wildlife:

Birds:

Cape Hatteras is home to a large number of birds, both permanent residents and migratory birds.

Redhead duck (Aythya americana) is a species of diving duck.  The males are noted for their copper-red heads.

Gadwall (Mareca strepera)

Snowy Owl:

In the winter of 2013, there was a significant irruption of snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus) wintering much further south than their normal range.

I was lucky enough to be out on the coast and heard rumors of a snowy owl at Cape Hatteras and went out to try and find her.

We found her near Cape Point and got some good pictures; probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a snowy owl at the beach in North Carolina.

Mammals:

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Blog Entries:

31-Jan-2021: Wildlife Refuge Hikes

30-Jan-2021: Outer Banks Hikes

29-Jan-2021: Cape Hatteras MST Hike

03-Jul-2019: Outer Banks National Parks

30-Nov-2013: Snowy Owl at Cape Hatteras

External Links:

National Park Service website: https://www.nps.gov/caha/index.htm