Hatteras Island Recreation
Hatteras Island is a magnet for people who love sporting by the sea: surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, standup paddleboarding, sport fishing, bird watching, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking, camping and roaming the miles of Outer Banks beaches.
The active crowd loves Cape Hatteras for a number of reasons -– mild temperatures for about 10 months of the year, abundant and accessible ocean and sound beaches, numerous outfitters catering to the various activities and the very laid-back lifestyle. Most important to Hatteras Island recreation and the outdoorsy personality, however, is Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a 72-mile park that includes parts of Bodie, Hatteras and Ocracoke islands and is left in its almost completely natural state. The National Seashore offers undeveloped ocean and sound beaches where eco-friendly outdoor recreation is encouraged and wildlife can be seen in its natural habitat.
In the seven Hatteras Island villages -– Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras Village —you’ll find many outfitters offering all the gear, rentals and lessons you’ll need to get out there and enjoy the great outdoors, barrier island style. The villages also offer other recreational opportunities, like mini-golf, movies and bike rentals.
Hatteras Island Beaches
In North Carolina, all of the beach below the high-tide mark is public property. So you can enjoy any part of the beach as long as you get there legally. Public beach accesses are located along N.C. Highway 12 throughout Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, and there are numerous accesses in the villages. Do not access the beach via private property, i.e., cutting through private oceanfront yards to get there.
The only life-guarded beach on Hatteras Island is at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse beach in the summer months. Otherwise, swimming is at your own risk. Many visitors are surprisingly unaware of the dangers of ocean swimming. Always regard the ocean with a sense of caution, no matter how good a swimmer you are.
Rip currents, which suck objects and people from shore toward sea, are the biggest threat swimmers may encounter. The most important thing to remember about rip currents is not to try to swim against them directly back to shore. Let the rip carry you out, then swim parallel to the beach to get out of the current, then swim diagonally into shore. Educational materials about rip currents and other ocean dangers are available in local visitor centers. It’s a good idea to carry some sort of flotation device with you when swimming, like a surfboard, body board or raft, but you can’t totally depend on those for safety. Drownings have occurred when non-swimmers lost the rafts or body boards they were depending on for flotation.
Another important thing about ocean swimming: Never take your eyes off your children, even if they’re just wading in the surf. Children can be knocked down by waves and washed into the sea in the blink of an eye. We’re not trying to discourage anyone from ocean swimming. Most days on Hatteras Island ocean swimming is safe and wonderful. Just be cautious and educated before going into the water.
If you are unsure about ocean swimming or if the day is particularly rough, you can also swim in the shallower, calmer waters of the Pamlico Sound. The sound is a good place for children and not-so-strong swimmers. It’s a good idea to wear some kind of water shoes, however, so you won’t cut your feet on oyster shells. There are several soundside beaches within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The most easily accessible are the Salvo Day Use area just south of Salvo and the Haulover area just south of Avon (see the Watersports section). Otherwise, if you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, there are several sand trails in Cape Hatteras National Seashore that lead back to soundside beaches. Pick up an Off-Road Driving Map, available at National Park Service Visitor Centers.
Note: For disabled visitors, Cape Hatteras National Seashore loans out beach wheelchairs on a first-come, first-served basis. For information call (252) 441-5711 or (252) 995-4474.
Angelo’s Pizza Arcade
- 46903 N.C. Highway 12
- Buxton
- (252) 995-6364
The game room and arcade at this restaurant is enormous, great for kids and adults who are looking for something to do. There are several pool tables, air hockey and tons of video games.
Avon Golf
- 41001 N.C. Highway 12, Avon Fishing Pier
- Avon
- (252) 995-5480
To practice your putting skills, head over to Avon Golf. This 18-hole, natural-grass putting green is on the oceanfront. Unlimited, all-day play is available for one low price, and you can come and go as you please. Get your tickets at the Avon Fishing Pier.
Avon Surf Shop
- 40136 N.C. Highway 12
- Rodanthe
- (252) 995-4783
Avon Surf Shop rents and sells surfboards. They also offer individual surf lessons for all ages and all levels. The owners are longtime surfers dedicated to the sport, so you’ll know you’re in good hands. They also have a full skate shop with a large clothing section. It’s located just south of the Dolphin Den in north Avon.
Beach Driving
- Hatteras Island
Driving on the beach is allowed in many areas of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. However, some areas of the beach may be closed to driving (but open to pedestrians) during the bird-breeding and turtle nesting seasons (mid-March to late August for birds and as late as November for turtles).
You may have heard rumors that all of the Hatteras Island beaches are closed to beach driving, but that simply is not true. In July 2008, in the height of bird-breeding season, Cape Hatteras National Seashore still had more than 25 miles of beach open for ORV use and more than 50 miles of beaches open to pedestrians. Only about 12 miles of beach were closed for resource protection in 2008.
To protect nesting sea turtles, night driving (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) is not allowed on any Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches between May 1 and September 15. Night-driving permits will be available for beach drivers between September 16 and November 15. See the National Park Service website for full details.
These beach-driving closures are in effect to protect the breeding birds and turtle nests, so the areas of closed beaches vary greatly depending on where the birds and turtles decide to breed and nest each season. To see the most up-to-date information about closed beach areas, visit www.nps.gov/caha and under the QUICKLINKS section on the home page, select Off-Road Vehicle Use. There you will find a Frequently Asked Questions page, a Google Earth Interactive Beach Access Map and much more. The website is updated continuously, so it is the best source of current information. If you don’t have access to the web, call the National Park Service Headquarters at (252) 473-2111.
Off-Road Driving Maps are available at the National Seashore Visitors Centers at Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse or the campgrounds. You can access the beach by vehicle at one of several sand ramps along the island. Be sure to read any signage concerning beach driving! There are also several soundside off-road-vehicle trails listed on the maps. Driving on the ocean beach or the soundside trails can be very convenient, especially for anglers looking for the perfect spot to fish. It’s also nice for families to be able to park a car next to the water and set up camp for the day.
Four-wheel-drive vehicles are an absolute necessity when driving in sand. You’ll certainly be the subject of derisive snickering if you attempt it in a two-wheel-drive car and get stuck. But even four-wheel-drive vehicles get stuck from time to time. If you’re going to attempt driving in sand, most people recommend lowering the air pressure in your tires to about 20 to 25 pounds to give the vehicle a little flotation on the sand. Try to follow in the tracks of vehicles that were there before you, and try to maintain a steady pace in the softer, deeper sand. If you do get stuck, a fellow off-roader will usually help you out. If not, call Cape Point Exxon Towing Service in Buxton at (252) 995-5695.
Big Wave Dave’s
- 40618 N.C. Highway 12, next to Village Grocery
- Rodanthe
- (252) 995-7033
Big Wave Dave’s convenience store has an unexpected feature: a cool theater space where you can catch a movie or live music and enjoy a beer or glass of wine. It’s an intimate theater – only 32 seats – and they show independent, up-and-coming movies that you won’t see at the blockbuster theaters. Stop by or call to get the movie and live music schedule. In the off-season you might catch a televised sporting event in the theater. The theater is also available to rent.
Blue Marlin Display
- 57690 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Village Library and Community Center
- Hatteras Village
Hatteras Village is the offshore fishing capital of the Outer Banks. Big-game marlin fishing began here in the 1930s. To see a blue marlin (one that’s been mounted and preserved), go over to the Hatteras Village Library and Community Center. On the outside wall, encased in a glass box, is a world-record, 810-pound blue marlin that was caught on June 11, 1962, off Hatteras Island. The world record has since been broken, but this is still an impressive specimen.
Burrus Flying Service
- 57094 Kohler Drive, Billy Mitchell Airport
- Frisco
- (252) 986-2679
For a totally different perspective on Hatteras Island, see it from the air. Burrus offers air tours over Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, for sightseeing, aerial photography or historical tours. Air tours prices are reasonable, starting at $45 per person for a party of three and varying from there depending on your chosen tour. The owners will do custom tours of the Outer Banks (prices vary).
Buxton Woods – National Park Service Nature Trail
- Lighthouse Road
- Buxton
- (252) 995-4474
Near the lighthouse on the NPS grounds is a 3/4-mile trail through the maritime forest of Buxton Woods. From N.C. Highway 12, turn onto Lighthouse Road and continue around the curve to the right past the lighthouse. The trailhead is on the right at the picnic area. A pine needle-covered path leads back into the forest. Along the way there are informational signs about the maritime forest ecosystem and the health of Buxton Woods. You’ll pass Jennette’s Sedge, a naturally occurring freshwater pond. This is a mostly flat, easy walk, though it’s not recommended for the disabled because of slightly rough terrain.
Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve
- Off N.C. Highway 12
- Buxton
- Contact the North Carolina Coastal Reserve office in Kitty Hawk at: (252) 261-8891
Buxton Woods is the largest remaining maritime forest in the Southeast. It consists of pine- and oak-covered dune ridges interspersed with maritime swamp forest and unique marshy wetlands known locally as sedges.
It’s a very rare ecosystem for a barrier island, and most visitors don’t even realize it exists. The North Carolina Coastal Reserve, a program of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, maintains more than 900 acres of the woods for research, education and recreation and offers some great hiking trails for the public to experience this amazing ecosystem.
On a walk here you might see one of 360 species of birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, along with gray fox, white-tailed deer, mink, river otter, box turtles, salamanders or snakes.
A great hiking trail can be found just south of Buxton. Off N.C. Highway 12, turn east onto Old Doctor’s Road. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, keep heading straight back on that sand road until it dead ends. If you don’t have four-wheel-drive, park your car on the little turnout off to the side of Old Doctor’s Road. At the end of the sand road is a trailhead sign for a 1/3-mile hike that takes you up to a high dune ridge. From this ridge you can look down at Jennette’s Sedge, a beautiful interdunal pond teeming with life. If you walk from the beginning of the road to the trail and back, it will take you about an hour.
Another trail through Buxton Woods is a little south of the one on Old Doctor’s Road. Turn south on Water Association Road and take the road all the way back until you reach a 90-degree bend in the road. At the corner of Water Association Road and Great Ridge Road, you’ll find the trailhead. Park there. If you take a right, you’ll follow a 2-mile loop through the woods and back around to your car at Great Ridge Road. If you take a left, you’ll go through forest and over dunes to the beach. You’ll need to be able to walk in deep sand and over fallen trees and the like. Then you’ll turn around come back the way you came, and the entire walk is about 3 miles.
Though trail use is restricted to walkers and some designated trails to horses, some traditional use is accommodated within the reserve. Seasonal hunting is allowed, per state and local regulations (call the reserve office for additional information). Licensed vehicles are allowed only on the dirt roads within the reserve. Target shooting and camping are prohibited.
The Coastal Reserve staff maintains two kiosks to make these trails more user-friendly. Both contain hiking trail maps. One is on Old Doctor’s Road and the other is down Water Association Road. Buxton Woods does not offer any facilities so please wear appropriate clothing to protect against biting insects and poisonous plants. Bring water, snacks and sunscreen to ensure an enjoyable visit to the woods.
For additional information about hiking, hunting permits and reserve rules please call the reserve office in Kitty Hawk at (252) 261-8891.
Cap’N Clam—Children’s Pirate Cruise
- 57878 N.C. Highway 12, Oden's Dock
- Hatteras Village
- (252) 986-2365
In addition to fishing charters, Cap’N Clam hosts a Children’s Pirate Cruise for all the rowdy mateys in your bunch. Several nights a week, this cruise promises lots of pirate-style shenanigans on the seas of the Pamlico Sound. For celebrations or special events, consider a custom charter of the Cap’N Clam.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
- 46379 N.C. Highway 12 and Lighthouse Road
- Buxton
- (252) 995-4474
If any one thing represents all of Hatteras Island, it has to be the famous black-and-white, spiral-striped Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The lighthouse has become the icon of the island, representing the hopeful, stalwart, survivalist attitude that is so pervasive among the people of Hatteras. This is one of the most famous lighthouses in the nation, especially since it survived a controversial, precarious move in 1999. Now in the hands of the National Park Service, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is open to the public.
Visitors 42 inches and taller can climb the spiral staircase up to the top of the lighthouse for an unforgettable view of the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Hatteras and Buxton. For the 2009 season, the climb will cost $7 for adults and $3.50 for children younger than 12 and seniors age 62 and older. The lighthouse is open from the third Friday in April through Columbus Day. Lighthouse tours begin at 9 a.m. daily and run every 10 minutes with a limit of 30 visitors per tour. The last tickets of the day are sold at 5:40 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day and 4:40 p.m. other times of the year. This is a very popular attraction and no advance tickets are sold, so the best thing to do is to get there early (before noon) and visit the ticket booth to buy a ticket, which will state the time of your tour. The ticket booth opens at 8:15 a.m. Be sure to be at the gate five minutes before your tour time. A museum about lighthouses and the history of the Outer Banks is located inside the historic Double Keepers’ Quarters Building just across the lawn from the lighthouse. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore/Hatteras Island Visitor Center
- 46379 N.C. Highway 12 and Lighthouse Road, at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
- Buxton
- (252) 995-4474
The National Park Service’s Hatteras Island Visitor Center is located at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site. Maps, informational brochures and the park newspaper are available here, and staff can answer any questions you have about visiting Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Lots of parking and restrooms are on site. There’s also a bookstore with gifts. Inquire at the Visitor Center about the ranger-led history and nature programs that are held regularly from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer months and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year.
Cape Hatteras Secondary School Tennis Courts
- 48576 N.C. Highway 12
- Buxton
- No phone
Cape Hatteras Secondary School has tennis courts that are open to the public in daylight after school hours.
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.
Coastal Kayak Touring Company
- Locations throughout the Outer Banks
- Hatteras Island
- (252) 261-6262, (252) 441-3393
You haven’t seen the Outer Banks until you’ve seen it from the water, and Coastal Kayak can take you there. They offer trips to four different areas of the Outer Banks: Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary (between Corolla and Duck), Kitty Hawk Woods, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Hatteras Island and the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Dare County mainland. Tours last two to three hours. The guides offer kayaking instruction if you need it, plus they narrate about the local history and ecology along the way. Single and tandem kayaks are available. Children are welcome, as long they are at least 30 pounds, but certain trips are better for kids than others. Reservations are required.
Equine Adventures
- 52173 Piney Ridge Road
- Frisco
- (252) 995-4897
Equine Adventures offers two-hour guided horseback rides through the scenic trails of Frisco Woods and on the beach. All levels of riders are accommodated, but children younger than 12 or people weighing more than 250 pounds are not accepted. Rides are offered year round. You must make reservations in advance. Call for prices.
Fessenden Center Skate Park
- 46830 N.C. Highway 12
- Buxton
- (252) 475-5650
The county-run Fessenden Center, across from Red Drum Tackle Shop in Buxton, has a small, skate-at-your-own-risk skate park. There is no supervision and you don’t have to sign a waiver, but helmets are required and pads are recommended. The park features a street course and a bowl. The park is open in daylight hours seven days a week.
Fessenden Center Tennis Courts
- 46830 N.C. Highway 12
- Buxton
- (252) 475-5650
The county-run Fessenden Center has tennis courts open for first-come, first-served play in daylight hours.
Fox Watersports
- 47108 N.C. Highway 12
- Buxton
- (252) 995-4372
Fox specializes in windsurfing and surfing. You can buy all the gear you’ll need for these sports plus take lessons if you need them. You can also rent windsurfing equipment, surfboards, kayaks and body boards and purchase skim boards, sunglasses, clothes, flip-flops or a wetsuit. Sailboard and surfboard repair are offered.
Frisco Mini-Golf and Go-Karts
- 50212 Trent Lake Lane and N.C. Highway 12
- Frisco
- (252) 995-6325
For a day or night of good fun, head 1.5 miles south of Buxton to this Frisco recreational facility. The mini-golf course, which is actually quite challenging, has 18 holes in a natural setting with waterfalls and fish ponds. You can play all day until 5 p.m. for one fee. After 5 p.m., there is a charge per a round of golf. There are two go-kart tracks here — a slick track and a family track — and there are also bumper cars. Drivers must be at least 54 inches tall, but little kids can ride with an adult. For little kids there are kiddie go-karts; children must be at least 5 years old but no taller than 54 inches. There’s also a game room here. Everything is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week in season. Call for off-season hours. There’s plenty of parking for larger vehicles like RVs.
Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center
- N.C. Highway 12
- Frisco
- (252) 995-4440
The Native American history of Hatteras Island and the Native American culture of our nation are preserved at this must-see museum in Frisco. The founders of this museum, Joyce and Carl Bornfriend, have taken great care to preserve Native American heritage, and their collection of artifacts, exhibits and natural history displays is nationally recognized and respected. The galleries include information on Native Americans across the United States. Particularly interesting to Hatteras Island visitors are the artifacts from the Native Americans who once inhabited this island. A dugout canoe, which was found on the museum property, is displayed with tools, instruments and other items uncovered on the island in an archaeological dig conducted by East Carolina University; these items offer a glimpse into the island’s previous life.
The museum recently opened almost 1,000 square feet of new exhibits, including an art gallery and a new room overlooking a beautiful bird garden. The gift shop has a great variety of Native American-made items, including arts and crafts, walking sticks, dream-catchers, moccasins, jewelry, paintings, drums, pottery, handmade knives and much more. The facility also includes a book store and even an antiques gallery operated by Friends of the Museum. While you’re here, be sure to walk on the museum’s nature trails that wind through several acres of maritime forest. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Winter hours may vary; call for confirmation. Cost is $5 per person, $3 for seniors or $15 per family. Guided tours for groups are available. The museum sponsors a not-to-be-missed annual Inter-Tribal Powwow on Hatteras Island in April.
Good Times Surf Shop
- 23280 N.C. Highway 12
- Rodanthe
- (252) 987-2245
Good Times is dedicated to sharing the love of surfing. Experienced instructors offer group, semi-private and private surf lessons and surfing day camps that are great for kids. They also rent surfboards, boogie boards, skim boards and kayaks, and their store sells some surfing-related gear.
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
- 59200 Museum Drive
- Hatteras Village
- (252) 986-2995 or (252) 986-2996
At the end of N.C. Highway 12 next to the ferry terminal, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum attracts a lot of attention in its unique, ship-like building with porthole windows and curved timbers. Now a regional history museum operated by the North Carolina Division of Cultural Resources, the museum has several exhibits plus a gift shop, lobby and community room. The museum focuses on the maritime history and shipwrecks of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, often called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The exhibits emphasize the periods from 1524 to 1945, with shipwreck artifacts and memorabilia on display and changing exhibits telling the dramatic tales of shipwrecks and lifesaving along the Carolina coast.
All of the planned exhibits are not finished yet. For now, you can visit the museum for free and see the original 1854 lens to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the enigma machine from the U-85, the bell from the Diamond Shoals Lightship (which was sunk by the Germans in WWII) and other exhibits on maritime history and shipwrecks. When you’re here, check out the historic markers in the parking lot, which tell interesting stories about the Civil War on the Outer Banks.
Hatteras Island Boardsports
- 41074 N.C. Highway 12
- Avon
- (252) 995-6160
Hatteras Island Boardsports rents kayaks, surfboards, body boards, skim boards and wetsuits, and delivery is available. You can also take group or private surfing lessons. The shop is a one-stop shop for surf gear and apparel for men, women and kids. Some brand names you’ll find here include Billabong, Quiksilver, Volcom, Roxy and Rusty, along with surfboards by Dewey Weber, Rusty and HIB.
Hatteras Island Massage
- 23280 N.C. Highway 12
- Rodanthe
- (252) 305-5551
Licensed therapist Chris Rutledge has a massage studio next to Good Times Surf Shop and offers a variety of therapeutic massage techniques.
