Recreation - Buxton & Frisco

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Sandbar and Grille

• 49250 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-3413

The Sandbar restaurant has a whole level devoted to its game room. You’ll find a pool table, Foosball, video games and more. This is a great place for parents to enjoy a quiet meal with an awesome sound view while the kids play in the game room.

Scotch Bonnet Boat Ramp and Dock

• 51684 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 995-4242

The marina next to the Scotch Bonnet gift shop offers a boat ramp, which can be used for a $10 fee; parking is available.

Sunsational Designs Gallery, Coffee and Beads

• 53255 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 995-5960

This gallery, owned by a native Hatteras Island family for more than 20 years, is not an ordinary art gallery. Sure, they offer paintings and other artwork by local artists, including the jewelry of Sarah Jackson, but they also offer rock art, buoy art and fun gifts and souvenirs, like hats and T-shirts. They also sell hundreds of beads, so this is a great place to make your own custom jewelry. Sunsational now offers gourmet coffee and espresso-based drinks and specialty teas.

The Frisco Jubilee

• 52859 Piney Ridge Road and N.C. Highway 12, Little Grove Church
• Frisco
• (252) 995-3540

Every Saturday night from June 6 through October, be sure to catch Hatteras Island’s best musicians for a night of pickin’ and singin’ old favorites, classic bluegrass, gospel and Outer Banks originals at the Frisco Jubilee. Some of the musicians you might see include Martin Garrish and Friends, Speedy Price, Stash Lawrence, Mahlon Blue and John Couch, April Trueblood, Caitlyn Gray and Johnnie Baum. The show begins at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are sold at the door for $10 each. Watch for special performances to be held in Rodanthe and Hatteras Village.

Uncle Eddy’s Frozen Custard and 18-Hole Minigolf

• 46860 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-4059

Next to Falcon Motel, this is the place for summer fun. The 18-hole mini-golf course is nestled under live oaks, providing a shady spot to get out of the sun. Unlimited play is available for a very reasonable price. After golf, cool down with the delicious homemade frozen custard and ice cream this place is known for.