Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Scenic coastal area situated on Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke islands along the Outer Banks, eastern North Carolina, U.S. The park, the country's first national seashore, was authorized in 1937 and established in 1953. It has a total area of 47 sq mi (122 sq km). It includes the tallest (208 ft [63 m]) masonry lighthouse in the country, located at Cape Hatteras.

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Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Seashores

Address: 1401 National Park Dr
Manteo, NC 27954
Phone: 252-473-2111;
Fax: 252-473-2595;
Web: www.nps.gov/caha/
Size: 30,351 acres.
Established: Authorized on August 17, 1937. Its lands include 5,915-acre Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge (see separate entry in national wildlife refuges chapter), administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Location: Cape Hatteras stretches north to south across three islands: Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke. The islands are linked by NC 12, which is the only major route through the park. From the north, NC 158 accesses the Outer Banks at Kitty Hawk, and then intersects NC 12 at the park's northern entrance below Nags Head. US 64 comes in from the west at Roanoke Island, and also intersects NC 12 at the park's northern entrance. State-operated toll ferries access the park's southern entrance at Ocracoke Island from Cedar Island or Swan Quarter, NC.
Facilities: Campgrounds, picnic area, rest rooms (é), groceries, off-road vehicle trail, boat ramp, bathhouse, visitor center (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail.
Activities: Camping, hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, crabbing, surfing, hunting, bicycling, bird-watching, interpretive programs.
Special Features: Stretched over 70 miles of barrier islands, Cape Hatteras National Seashore includes a number of natural and cultural resources. 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 Ocracoke Lighthouse (built in 1823) is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina and the 208-foot Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (built in 1870) is the tallest in the United States.

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See other parks in North Carolina.