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.

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.

Hatteras Island Sail Shop

• 25199 Vela Court and N.C. Highway 12
• Waves
• (252) 987-2292

This soundfront recreation center offers rentals of kayaks, sailboats and windsurfing equipment plus lessons in windsurfing and kiteboarding. An onsite launching facility makes it easy to slip into the water. Kayak eco-tours are offered here.

Hatteras Island Surf Shop

• 25410 N.C. Highway 12
• Waves
• (252) 987-2296

This classic surf shop in an old cottage has been a fixture on the island surf scene for more than 35 years. The shop sells new and used boards and surf-related gear and rents surf, body and skim boards plus beach gear. Surf lessons are available for adults as well as kids.

Hatteras Parasail and Watersports

• 57878 N.C. Highway 12, Oden’s Dock
• Hatteras Village
• (252) 986-2627

There’s nothing like a bird’s-eye view of the Outer Banks to lift your spirits. Hatteras Parasail can take you to hundreds of feet above the islands for a view you won’t forget. Parasailing can be done as singles or tandems. This family owned and operated company, now in its 18th season, also offers guided kayak eco-tours in single or tandem kayaks. The tours take you along the Pamlico Sound and through the waterways of Hatteras Village. New this year are Waverunners that carry up to three people. This business is closed on Sunday.

Hatteras Tours

• Hatteras Island
• (252) 475-4477

For a local historian’s perspective of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, you won’t want to miss this bus tour of Hatteras Island. Island native Danny Couch leads tours in a 25-passenger mini-bus, telling fascinating stories and bits of island history along the way. Couch grew up on the island and is passionate about its history. The stories he tells will intrigue you. Tours include Chicamacomico (Rodanthe, Waves & Salvo), Kinnakeet (Avon), The Cape (Buxton), Hatteras Village, Ocracoke Island and Roanoke Island. Family groups are encouraged. Call ahead for more information or to organize a custom tour. Ticket prices range from $45 to $60, depending on the season and the tour. Call the number above for more information or to reserve your seat.

Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry

• End of N.C. Highway 12
• Hatteras Village
• (252) 986-2353, (800) BY FERRY

For a free boat ride, drive onto the ferry at the south end of Hatteras Island. You’ll cross Hatteras Inlet and end up on the absolutely charming island of Ocracoke, where you’ll definitely want to spend a few hours or a whole day exploring the village shops, restaurants and historic sites (and pick up a copy of our sister paper, the Ocracoke Island tabloid). The ferry ride is about 45 minutes long. Once you get off the ferry onto Ocracoke Island, you’ll need transportation—your car or a bicycle—because it’s about 13 miles from the ferry dock to the village. The ferry is free and it runs every 30 minutes in the summer season. Call for off-season hours.

Haulover Day Use Area

• N.C. Highway 12
• Rodanthe

The Haulover Day Use Area is also known as Canadian Hole because it is a hotspot for windsurfers, many of whom hail from Canada. This soundside access makes a day on the sound very convenient. There’s lots of parking plus a bathhouse with rinse-off showers, changing rooms and restrooms. This little beach can be quite the scene when it’s packed with windsurfers and kiteboarders, but a lot of families come here, too, to swim, kayak, paddleboard and sit on the beach.

In Touch Massage & Wellness Center

• 50840 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 995-4067

In Touch Massage and Wellness Center is a haven of peace and rejuvenation on Hatteras Island. The center offers holistic massage and spa treatments using only natural and organic products. Pamper yourself with a sugar or salt scrub, or choose a mud wrap or a Chinese herbal facial. Allow the highly trained therapists to create a custom massage to meet your individual needs. Four treatment rooms accommodate group appointments with ease. An acupuncturist and counselor also offer their services here. The center offers organic skin and body products, Jane Iredale mineral make-up, natural supplements and homeopathic remedies. In Touch is located in the same building as Indiantown Gallery and Island Perks Coffee Shop, so be sure to visit all three

Island Cruisers

• 23902 N.C. Highway 12
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-1250, (252) 202-8388

Island Cruisers offers car rentals on Hatteras Island, including four-wheel-drive vehicles. RV campers who need a car to get around like this service. You can also rent a classic VW–powered fiberglass convertible Buggy that’s a blast to drive. All of the vehicles are street legal and get excellent gas mileage. Fishing gear packages are available to rent as well. Reservations are required.

Island Cycles & Sports—Avon

• 41934 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Island Plaza
• Avon
• (252) 995-4336

Island Cycles & Sports rents kayaks, surfboards, skimboards, boogie boards and other fun stuff for the beach. They sell Flexifoil kiteboarding gear. Island Cycles is a full-service bike shop selling and renting bikes and scooters for the whole family, and they will deliver bikes to your location. They also sell cycling gear and make repairs. There’s also a location in Hatteras Village.

Island Cycles & Sports—Hatteras Village

• N.C. Highway 12
• Hatteras Village
• (252) 986-2233

Island Cycles & Sports rents kayaks, surfboards, skimboards, boogie boards and other fun stuff for the beach. They sell Flexifoil kiteboarding gear. Island Cycles is a full-service bike shop selling and renting bikes and scooters for the whole family, and they will deliver bikes to your location. They also sell cycling gear and make repairs at their Avon location.

Miss Hatteras—Dolphin and Wildlife Sunset Cruise

• 57878 N.C. Highway 12, Oden’s Dock
• Hatteras Village
• (252) 986-2365

This 75-foot head boat makes daily trips to the fishing grounds, but if you don’t want to fish, you can join them for a Dolphin and Wildlife Sunset Cruise. You just relax and enjoy the breezes and spectacular Hatteras sunset while the crew points out dolphin, native birds and other local wildlife. Miss Hatteras also is available for private charter for weddings, parties and other events.

Moneysworth Rentals

• N.C. Highway 12
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-1002

Moneysworth rents bikes for all sizes and ages, including pull-behind carts and child seats. They also rent beach gear and watersports gear. They offer free delivery and pickup anywhere on Hatteras Island.

Natural Art Surf Shop

• N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-5682

Natural Art has been a fixture on the island surfing scene since 1977, and it’s all about serious surfing. They shape custom boards and create custom artwork so you can design your own. They sell new and used boards and rent surfboards, body boards and wetsuits. They also repair surfboards. All the surfing support gear is here too: clothing, footwear, wetsuits, rash guards, accessories, sunscreen, art, you name it.

New Inlet Boat Ramp

• Pea Island Wildlife Refuge
• Rodanthe

The New Inlet ramp is for small boats only, and you may launch here for free. It’s in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, so you’re surrounded by natural beauty.

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center

• 98 N.C. Highway 12
• Oregon Inlet
• (252) 441-6301

The Fishing Center is located on the north side of Oregon Inlet on Bodie Island. It’s free to launch here, and there’s plenty of parking.

Outer Banks Marathon, Gateway Bank Half-Marathon

• Throughout the Outer Banks, from Kitty Hawk to Manteo
• Rodanthe

If you’re a runner or walker, you don’t want to miss this event on a flat course with awesome scenery and the spirited residents of the Outer Banks cheering for you all along the way. On Sunday, November 8, 2009, you can participate in the fourth annual Outer Banks Marathon or the Gateway Bank Half-Marathon. The course for the marathon begins in Kitty Hawk, travels on through Kill Devil Hills and around the Wright Memorial, goes through Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. The Gateway Bank Half-Marathon begins in Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. Walkers are welcome. There is a $25,000 prize purse for the marathon. The Fun Run is held on Saturday, November 7. For information and to register, go to www.obxmarathon.org.

Pam Bailey Massage, Hypnotherapy and Yoga

• N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 305-8822

Pam Bailey teaches yoga classes at the Community Center in Hatteras Village and offers private classes for small groups at her office or at your location. Give her a call for the class schedule and prices. Pam is a licensed massage therapist offering Swedish massage, cranio-sacral therapy, energy work and other healing modalities. She teaches classes for national and state recertification of massage therapists. She also offers hypnotherapy in all aspects, focusing on weight reduction and addictions. Her office is located next to Island Spice and Wine.