Recreation - Hatteras Village
This page provides information for recreation in Hatteras Village, NC, on the Outer Banks.
A. S. Austin Company
- 57698 N.C. Highway 12
- Hatteras Village
Located in a cool historic building smack dab in the middle of Hatteras Village, this company can equip your Hatteras excursion. They offer kayak rentals by the hour, day or week as well as kayak tours. All your biking needs are covered here, with a great selection of cruisers (helmets and locks included) for rent or sale. The store offers one-of-a-kind local artwork on display, locally made jewelry, T-shirts, flip flops, hats and more.
Kitty Hawk Kites
- Hatteras Landing, Marina Way
- Hatteras Village
Kitty Hawk Kites offers kayak rentals and kayak tours from this waterfront store location. For information and reservations, call (877) FLY-THIS.
Kitty Hawk Kites Climbing Wall
- Hatteras Landing, Marina Way
- Hatteras Village
If all this flat land has you craving a vertical view of things, Kitty Hawk Kites has a sport rock-climbing wall set up on the porch at Hatteras Landing Marina. It tops out at 32 feet high, and there are beginner and advanced routes. The staff is there to assist beginners with their first climb. It’s usually only open in the summer season, so call before stopping by.
Outer Banks Diving
- 57544 N.C. Highway 12
- Hatteras Village
- (252) 986-1056
- map
For expert guiding and charters to the Graveyard of the Atlantic wrecks, certified divers should contact Capt. Johnny and Amy Pieno at Outer Banks Diving. This full-service dive shop offers single, group and multi-day rates for trips aboard their large, comfortable U.S. Coast Guard–certified vessel, the Flying Fish. Shipwrecks are predominantly of WWII vintage in the 70- to 110-foot-deep range. The boat is docked at Teach’s Lair Marina, and the shop is about a mile north of there. PADI scuba certification courses are offered here. The shop rents and sells gear for snorkeling and diving, including masks, fins, snorkels, wetsuits and more, and they make repairs. Stop in to ask about their options for snorkeling, which is a great family activity. The gift shop is really neat—you’ll find giant sharks’ teeth, nautical items and souvenirs.
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
- N.C. Highway 12
- Hatteras Island
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 ecosystems and wildlife of the refuge and the activities that are permissible there. You may also pick up informational brochures, the National Park Service’s newspaper and trail maps. A restroom and plenty of parking are available. You may start your walk on North Pond Wildlife Trail here.
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. Leashed pets are allowed on the beach, but not on the walking trails or overlooks.
North Pond Wildlife Trail is a good, flat, easy trail that 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 Wildlife 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. The trail turns into a hard-packed natural surface that extends for a half-mile and ends in a two-level observation tower where you can see from sea to sound. After North Pond Wildlife Trail ends, you may keep going on an unpaved service road that takes you all the way around the pond. This service road connects with the Salt Flats Wildlife Trail, and at the end (N.C. Highway 12) you can either turn back and go the way you came or cross over the dunes and walk 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 mosquitoes at all times of the year. Don’t let that keep you away; just bring insect repellent.
You may also park at the Salt Flats Wildlife 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 may pick up trail maps at the Visitor Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day or from the racks on the front porch after hours.
Guided bird walk programs are offered at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge year round, and other programs — Turtle Talks, Soundside Adventures and Birds and Their Adaptations — are offered in the summer months. Canoe tours are offered during the warmer months as a fee-based program. Click on the link here to see those programs, see www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/spec.html for a list or call the visitors center. Also see our writeup on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Activities in this Recreation section.
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.
Cap’N Clam
- 57878 Oden's Dock, N.C. Highway 12
- Hatteras Village
- (252) 986-2365
Cap’N Clam hosts half-day fishing trips that are great options for families with young children because they are just the right length for a child’s attention span. They also offer a Children’s Pirate Cruise for all the rowdy mateys on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. This cruise promises lots of pirate-style shenanigans and pirate souvenirs. For celebrations or special events, consider a custom charter of the Cap’N Clam.
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. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights from 6 to 7 p.m., 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.
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.
Fox Watersports
- 56910 N.C. Highway 12, Stowe on 12
- Hatteras Village
- (252) 986-4008
Fox Watersports in Buxton has opened a second location in Hatteras Village at Stowe on 12. This location specializes in kiteboarding, surfing, standup paddleboards (SUP), kayaks and bodyboards. You can buy all this gear and the hard goods you need or rent surfboards, SUPs, kayaks and bodyboards. They also offer lessons in surfing and SUP. They’re considering bike rentals, too, so call and ask about those. Fox also sells surf-inspired clothing and accessories.
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 with its unique, ship-like building, porthole windows and curved timbers. One of three North Carolina Maritime Museums operated by the North Carolina Division of Cultural Resources, the museum focuses on the maritime history and shipwrecks of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, often called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Exhibitions emphasize the periods from 1524 to 1945, with shipwreck artifacts and memorabilia on display and changing exhibits telling the dramatic tales of shipwrecks and life saving along the Carolina coast.
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 WWI) and other exhibits on maritime history and shipwrecks.
From August 15, 2011, through July 15, 2012, the museum will host Flags Over Hatteras, an exhibition commemorating the Sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of the Civil War on Hatteras Island. Historic events included the first Union victory of the war, which led to the loss of the inland waterways of eastern North Carolina. The exhibition is focused around the little-known assaults on Forts Hatteras and Clark, which took place August 28 and 29, 1861. Displays will also explore the capture of the Fanny and The Chicamacomico Races and will feature items and documents from the period.
A Flags Over Hatteras conference will be held in Hatteras from August 22 through 28 and will feature the most prominent Civil War historians in the country. Held at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and other locations, the conference will feature a VIP Blue-Gray reunion, lecturers, speakers, living history programs and an auction. See www.flagsoverhatteras.com for more information.
The museum holds frequent programs in the summer months. On Second Saturdays and Tuesdays at 2, you can hear speakers. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday there are activities for kids. Call for a schedule or go to the web site at www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com for more information.
From April through October, hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. From November through March, hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. 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 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, tandems or triples. This family-owned company has been operating for nearly 20 years, and they also offer guided kayak eco-tours in single or tandem kayaks. The tours take you along the Pamlico Sound and through the waterways of Hatteras Village. They also rent Waverunners that carry up to three people. This business is closed on Sundays. Reservations are recommended.
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 and 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 newspaper, or click on the Ocracoke tab at the top of this page ). The ferry ride is about 40 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. But you can walk over to the pristine beaches of Ocracoke right from the ferry docks. The ferry is free. In the summer (April 19 to October 11), the ferry runs every hour from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., every 30 minutes between 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. and every hour between 8 p.m. and midnight. Off-season hours are every hour from 5 a.m. to midnight. This ride may not be free forever (the state may need the money someday), so be sure to enjoy it while it is!
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 full or half-day trips to the fishing grounds, but if you don’t want to fish, you can join them for a Dolphin and Wildlife Sunset Cruise from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. 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.
Teach’s Lair Marina
- 58646 N.C. Highway 12
- Hatteras Village
- (252) 986-2460
Teach’s Lair full-service marina has a ramp for launching boats that can be used for a $10 fee, and there is parking across the street.
U.S. Weather Bureau Station/Hatteras Welcome Center
- Hatteras Village
- (252) 986-2203
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, weather observations gathered near Cape Hatteras were important for forecasters all along the East Coast. The Hatteras Island weather station was so critical that in 1901 the U.S. Weather Bureau constructed a dedicated Weather Bureau building in Hatteras village, one of only 11 such buildings constructed in the nation at the turn of the century. The building still stands in Hatteras village and is next to the Burrus Red & White grocery store at the corner of Saxon Cut and Kohler roads. The National Park Service restored the building to its original 1901 appearance, yellow exterior and all. The NPS had the benefit of the original building plans to aid in its restoration, so the building is true to the original. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau operates a visitors/welcome center in one room of the building; stop by to pick up tourist information and also to see the interior of this historic building. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in season (with the exception of a short lunch break); call for off-season hours. They close in January and February.
Unloading Catches at the Docks
- Hatteras Village Marinas
- Hatteras Village
For a chance to see the offshore boats unloading the day’s deep-sea catches, head down to one of the Hatteras Village marinas between 3:30 and 5 p.m. When the boats come in, the fishing mates unload the day’s catches onto the docks so the fish can be taken away and cleaned. Most days you’ll see something, usually yellow-fin tuna, mahi mahi and wahoo plus some other interesting fish. The big-game fish are caught and released, so you won’t see all the white marlin, blue marlin and sailfish that were caught that day, though you can count the flags on the boats to see how many were released.
Village Marina
- 57980 N.C. Highway 12
- Hatteras Village
- (252) 986-2522
In Hatteras Village, this marina charges a $10 fee per launch and it’s a convenient spot to put in. Parking for vehicles and trailers is available; a $5 per night fee is charged for overnight parking.
