Attractions - Rodanthe, Waves & Salvo

Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station

• 23645 N.C. Highway 12, MP 39.5
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-1552

The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station is the nation’s most complete existing example of the life-saving stations that were built along the coast in the late-19th century, the age of shipping, to attend to shipwrecks and rescue survivors. The 1874 station was the first operational life-saving station built in North Carolina, serving until 1954. Chicamacomico has been partially restored, thanks to numerous volunteers who formed a nonprofit organization to save it, and it is now a fine museum and historic site; all structures are original buildings.

On a visit here you’ll see the 1874 Station, the 1911 Station, two cookhouses, water tanks and cistern, a stable, a tractor shed, the smaller boathouse (now the Visitors Center) and a village home built in 1907. In the museum, you’ll learn about the U.S. Life-Saving Service and some of the rescues that occurred here. Artifacts, uniforms, rescue equipment, displays and video presentations abound, and self-guided tours help complete your knowledge of place and history. The gift shop is full of unique nautical items and works by local craftspeople plus books and old-fashioned toys.

June through August, try to catch any of the special programs offered Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. Mondays, hear about the movie Nights in Rodanthe, which was filmed on Hatteras Island. Tuesdays hear true shipwreck and rescue stories. Wednesdays hear native Hatteras Islander Carol Dillon speak about being the real-life inspiration for the book Taffy of Torpedo Junction. Thursdays is the popular historic Beach Apparatus Drill Re-enactment – the only Breeches Buoy demonstration in the country performed by active-duty U.S. Coast Guard personnel. Fridays hear author Scott Dawson’s ideas about what really happened to the Lost Colony. Programs are free with paid admission to the site.

The site is open from mid-April through Thanksgiving weekend, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission fees are charged.

Michael Halminski Photo Gallery

• 25838 Midgett Way, off N.C. Highway 12
• Waves
• (252) 987-2401

Michael Halminski is one of the Outer Banks’ most talented photographers. His photographs of birds, wildlife, water, sky and local scenes perfectly capture the mood of Hatteras Island. Photographs and note cards are available for sale at his island studio. Call before stopping by.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

• N.C. Highway 12
• Hatteras Island
• (252) 987-2394

The refuge’s Visitor Center, located on the northern end of Hatteras Island about 4 miles south of Oregon Inlet, is a good place to start a Pea Island visit. It gives an introduction to the ecosystem and wildlife of the refuge and the activities that are permissible there. You can also pick up informational brochures, the National Park Service’s newspaper and trail maps. A restroom and plenty of parking are available. You can start a hike around North Pond here. Ask at the Visitor Center about the canoe tours and guided bird walks that are offered almost year round or other programs that might be held during the summer. The Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Beyond the Visitor Center, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 13-mile stretch of pristine barrier island. The beaches are wonderfully devoid of people most of the time, and there are several access points for getting to the beach. Pea Island is also great for surfing, surf fishing, shell hunting, kayaking, photography and other eco-friendly outdoor activities. Driving on the beach is not allowed here.

A good, flat, easy hike starts at the Pea Island Visitor Center, about 4 miles south of Oregon Inlet. Park in the parking lot and look for the North Pond trailhead behind the restrooms. A sturdy, handicapped-accessible boardwalk leads back into the marshy areas around North Pond where you’ll see a variety of birds and wildlife. After the boardwalk ends, you can keep going on an unpaved service road that takes you all the way around the pond. The North Pond Trail connects with the Salt Flats Trail, and at the end (N.C. Highway 12) you can either turn back and go the way you came or walk down N.C. 12 or along the beach to get back to the Visitor Center. The entire loop, if you take the beach route, is about 4 miles. The northern leg of the North Pond circuit is prone to excessive mosquito habitation at all times of the year. Don’t let that keep you away; just bring insect repellent. You can also park at the Salt Flats trailhead, a little over a mile north of the Visitor Center. You’ll see a lot of birds on these trails no matter what time of year you’re here, but this hike is most phenomenal in the fall and winter, when thousands of migratory birds are resting over on the pond. You’ll see snow geese, Canada geese, tundra swan and numerous species of ducks. You can pick up trail maps at the Visitor Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Ask about the guided bird walks held here.