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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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