Visit The Outer Banks

Hatteras Island — Discover the Untamed Outer Banks

Escape the city’s hustle and bustle with a visit to Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco or Hatteras. Endless beaches, abundant fishing, and off-road adventures await.

Hatteras Island

North Carolina’s Outer Banks curve along the coast like a necklace set with lighthouses. This once-wild region has played a role in pivotal moments in American history: the first English child born in the New World, the first flight taken by humankind, and the first foothold of the U.S. Life Saving Service, now called the Coast Guard, in North Carolina. Much of that wild landscape has since been tamed.

Many visitors picture the northern villages, from Nags Head to Duck, when they think of The Outer Banks: rows of beach houses, hotels, and restaurants. Hatteras Island offers something different. It retains the untamed character and old-fashioned charm of the Outer Banks, making it the only place where you can experience a glimpse of life here before the world found us.

Hatteras Island consists of seven villages, two lighthouses, and one National Seashore. In Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village, past and present meet. Wooden fishing boats that once brought in the day’s catch with hand-woven nets have given way to sleek charter boats heading for the Gulf Stream and modern trawlers capable of hauling in a ton of shrimp at a time. The Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras Lighthouses now run on electricity rather than whale oil, yet their beams still reach across the hidden dangers of Diamond Shoals and Oregon Inlet. Everywhere, the island remains unlike any other place in the world.

Recreation

Outer Banks Scenic Byway

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Pea Island Wildlife Refuge

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Beach Access

Hunting

ORV Rules & Access Points

Horseback Riding

Watersports

Fishing & Fishing Piers

Hatteras Island’s distinct character owes much to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the first of its kind. Established in 1937 to protect the integrity of this narrow barrier island, the National Seashore restricted development. The villages were largely prevented from expanding into the island’s woods and dunes, allowing these small, close-knit communities to remain relatively isolated. Their cultures, shaped by more than a century of life on the Banks, stayed distinct.

All seven villages are within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, alongside woods, dunes, marshes, and beaches so pristine they seem almost perfect.

For years, many Hatteras Islanders kept this place to themselves. Families made their living from the water, bringing nets of fish ashore, collecting oysters and clams by the barrel, and risking their own lives to rescue people shipwrecked on nearby sandbars and shoals. For generations, daily life changed very little.

Residents watched each of the Bodie Island Lighthouses rise from the sand and send its beam into the sea-swept night, then dim as a taller, sturdier replacement was built. They saw the Hatteras Lighthouse rise above the trees, survive grapeshot and musket ball during the Civil War, and eventually move inland in 1999 to escape the advancing sea.

Shipwrecks have been so numerous that this coastline is known as The Graveyard of The Atlantic. Hatteras Island has also endured pirates, including Blackbeard, the Civil War, German U-Boats during World War II, and powerful storms. Its villages have carried a dozen names over time. Through every change, the island and its people have persisted.

Today, Hatteras Island draws visitors looking for the Outer Banks in its unspoiled form, surfers searching for the ideal break, anglers pursuing the one that got away, families creating memories in a beloved place, and locals who love the island like nowhere else.

Hatteras Island Recreation

Hatteras Island offers plenty to do, though visitors will not find the arcades, miniature golf, go-karts, and boardwalks common in other beach towns. Life here is simpler. Some visitors climb the lighthouses, paint them, or search for the perfect angle for a dramatic photograph.

Anglers come to the charter fleets at Oregon Inlet and in Hatteras Village. With the Gulf Stream only 15 miles offshore, sportfish are within easy reach. Other anglers explore the inshore waters of Pamlico Sound, along with its marshes and creeks. Many head to the beach in their 4x4s, drive onto the sand, find an isolated place to surf cast, and watch pelicans dive for dinner.

Hatteras Island invites people to slow down, breathe, enjoy a beach without crowds, and reconnect with family, friends, and themselves.

Horseback riding, wildlife watching, seasonal waterfowl hunting, and surfing some of the most consistent breaks on the East Coast bring visitors to campgrounds, oceanfront homes, and locally owned motels. On Pamlico Sound, kayakers, standup paddleboarders, and kiteboarders take to the water. Kiteboarders are pulled by enormous parachute-like kites, while wooden fishing piers in Rodanthe and Avon bring together long-time transplants, recent arrivals, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation Hatteras Islanders, and visitors.

Hatteras Island is wild, welcoming, and unlike anywhere else. It offers a glimpse of the Outer Banks as they used to be, with plenty of charm and hospitality. The island is ready to reveal the history of the Outer Banks and provide the kind of experience that brings visitors back year after year, counting the days until they stand again beneath the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Outer Banks National Scenic Byway

Roadside signs near the entrance to Cape Hatteras National Seashore announce that you have entered the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. The National Seashore and National Byway begin in the same place but finish at different destinations.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore extends 70 miles. The Outer Banks Scenic Byway follows Highway 12 through the National Seashore, then continues by ferry to its southern terminus in Carteret County, much farther south.

The Outer Banks Scenic Byway is one of three national scenic byways in North Carolina. It is recognized for its contributions to the state’s cultural heritage and identity, as well as for its unobstructed natural beauty and pristine setting. Sites including Chicamacomico US Life-saving Station and Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum add to the story. Wayfinding signs and roadside locations continue to highlight historic and cultural values, from scenic overlooks to markers describing significant events in American history.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras National Seashore begins at Whalebone Junction and Bodie, pronounced “body,” Island. An inlet once separated Bodie Island from Nags Head and the northern Outer Banks, but that inlet has since filled in. Today, the island’s protected beaches, maritime forests, and expansive marshes introduce visitors to Hatteras Island.

Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and Ocracoke Lighthouse serve as the three lighthouse guardians within Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Driving south from Whalebone Junction, visitors soon see the black crown of Bodie Island Lighthouse above the pine trees. The 156’ tower stands over the island and sends its warning light far out to sea. Its black-and-white stripes are a classic example of a “daymark,” a distinctive daytime pattern that helps sailors identify one lighthouse from another. Each lighthouse also has a unique “nightmark,” created by the pattern of its blinking light.

The lighthouse is more than a photogenic landmark. The keeper’s cottage and other structures now house museums containing historic photographs and stories. Tickets for climbing Bodie Island Lighthouse are also sold on site.

Climbs take place from the third Friday in April through Columbus Day in early October. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for seniors over 62 and kids age 11 and under. Climbs are self-guided and operate from 9am to 4:30pm, when the final group begins ascending the spiral staircase. Only eight visitors may climb at one time. Reaching the viewing platform requires climbing nearly 200 steps, so arriving early is recommended.

From the top, visitors can see the Atlantic Ocean, Pamlico Sound, and the slender strips of Bodie and Hatteras Islands. The view also reveals the marshes and creeks that protect the island from Pamlico Sound.

Anglers and photographers can follow a trail on the west side of the parking area to several fishing locations and less familiar viewpoints of Bodie Island Lighthouse. The hike can be difficult, so sturdy footwear is preferable to sneakers, and flip flops should be avoided altogether.

Built in 1872, the current lighthouse is the third Bodie Island Lighthouse to protect this section of coast. The first was built in 1847 a few miles south, beyond Oregon Inlet. Its shifting-sand foundation caused the tower to lean noticeably after 2 years, and it was abandoned in 1859.

The second Bodie Light began operating in 1858, also south of Oregon Inlet. It remained until the early Civil War, when retreating Confederate troops destroyed it to impede Union naval forces.

Construction of the present Bodie Island Lighthouse began in 1871. The black-and-white tower was completed in 1872 and illuminated its beacon for the first time.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

After crossing Oregon Inlet on the Marc Basnight Bridge from Nags Head toward the entrance to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, visitors quickly encounter the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge sign. The refuge is still part of Hatteras Island.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge protects 13 miles of habitat for migratory birds, sea turtles, and many other animals. Birdwatchers from throughout America make special trips to see species in the area, but no specialized expertise is necessary to enjoy the refuge. Returning often increases the chance of seeing something remarkable.

Within its 5,834 acres of beaches, soundfront shoreline, and bird ponds, park staff and visitors have officially recorded 365 birds, 25 species of mammals, 24 species of reptiles, and 5 types of amphibians, including frogs and salamanders.

Walking trails lead to observation platforms overlooking active bird colonies. Visitors may also pull over safely along the road when something catches their attention. The beach across from the Pea Island Visitor Center can be a good place to find seashells.

A pipe-like object visible roughly 100 yards offshore is actually the wreck of the Oriental. The Oriental Steamer was a 210' federal tanker that ran aground about three miles south of Oregon Inlet on May 16, 1862, during the American Civil War. The portion visible above the water is the remains of its steam engine.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

At the tip of Hatteras Island stands the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. It has represented the Outer Banks for more than 150 years. Its black-and-white spiral pattern, a distinctive “daymark,” gives the 198’ tower an unmistakable appearance for sailors, residents, and visitors.

The lighthouse’s history is best appreciated from the top. The view reaches across the waves, the submerged sandbars of Diamond Shoals, and the shoreline as it extends north before turning southwest and fading from sight.

The present tower is the second Cape Hatteras Light. The first, constructed in 1803, stood only 90’ tall and used a whale-oil lantern. Because it was too short and produced a weak light, it was altered by adding 60’ and installing a more powerful lens. The “new” lighthouse began operating by 1853.

Wind, waves, and the Civil War eventually damaged that tower. By 1870, a replacement had been built: the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse seen today.

The lighthouse’s story continued after construction. Looking north from the tower, visitors can locate the site of the original lighthouse; a Park Ranger stationed at the top can point it out. Rising ocean levels and repeated storms eroded the beach, bringing the water closer. In 1935, the Hatteras Light was decommissioned and replaced by a skeletal steel structure known as the Buxton Light.

Barrier islands shift as sand is removed and redeposited. By 1950, the beach had become stable enough for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to return to service. From the 1960s through the 1980s, erosion again brought the ocean dangerously close, leading to the decision to move the lighthouse.

The relocation involved all 1.25 million bricks in the 198’ tower, along with the historic keeper’s cottages and outbuildings. Over 23 days in the summer of 1999, the lighthouse was raised from its foundation and moved 2,900 feet to its current location.

Climbing the lighthouse has been a rite of passage for generations. The 257 steps end at a catwalk with a spectacular view. Self-guided climbs are available from the third Friday in April through Columbus Day in early October. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $4 for seniors age 62 and up and kids age 11 and under.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore has helped turn Hatteras Island into a playground shaped by nature. Visitors can search the beach for driftwood, the elusive Scotch Bonnet shell, or debris from an undersea wreck; watch birds around waterfowl impoundment ponds; surf, kayak, or kiteboard; fish; drive a 4x4 on the beach; climb Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras Lighthouses; or spend the day just steps from the Atlantic Ocean.

The Pamlico Sound can be explored from a standup paddleboard. Beach fires are permitted with a permit and an understanding of the applicable rules. Visitors can also ride horses through the surf. Above all, Hatteras Island offers space to rest, relax, and unwind beside the Atlantic Ocean.

Beach Access

Visitors come to Hatteras Island to fish, surf, work on a tan, and collect shells, and most eventually make their way to the beach. Every village has beach access points, as do many locations within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Not every access point is open to the public.

Some beach houses have private access, including boarded walkways and informal paths through the dunes. These may serve a single house, a cul-de-sac, or all residents and renters along a street or in a neighborhood. Visitors still have many public options.

Across Highway 12 from Bodie Island Lighthouse, Coquina Beach Day Use Area provides plentiful parking, showers, changing rooms, and restrooms. Salvo Day Use Area has picnic tables along Pamlico Sound and a path over the dunes to the beach. Near Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, several routes lead to the water, and two campgrounds are close enough to the waves to be within shouting distance.

Only three National Seashore beaches have lifeguards. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, lifeguards are stationed daily from 9am-5pm at Coquina Beach on Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach beside the lighthouse, and Frisco Beach just south of the village. Other access points are unguarded, so visitors should take appropriate swimming precautions.

Beach access points are identified by brown signs with white lettering. Many also carry numbers because they share access with ORV areas. Locations include:

Hunting

Waterfowl hunting is allowed within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, but only in designated Bodie Island areas. The National Parks Service maintains 20 hunting blinds, including the ABA-accessible Bodie Island Marsh Blind. Conditions and blind availability vary, so hunters should be ready to build a temporary blind if needed.

A valid North Carolina hunting license with waterfowl privileges, a Federal Harvest Program (HIP) certification, and a Ducks Unlimited stamp are required. Hunters must register at the Whalebone Junction Information Station at 4:30am to receive an assigned hunt area.

Current procedures and regulations cover maximum party size, firearm and ammunition restrictions, retriever dog rules, and how to enter and leave hunting areas. These requirements are regularly updated by Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Off Road Vehicle Use on Hatteras Island

Trucks and SUVs on the beach are a familiar sight throughout Hatteras Island and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Anglers, surfers, thrill seekers, and adventurous beachgoers use the National Seashore’s ORV, or Off Road Vehicle, program to reach permitted sections of sand.

Some shoreline sections are open year-round and others seasonally. In both cases, a National Parks Service permit is required before lowering tire pressure and driving onto the beach.

An ORV permit costs $50 for a 10-day permit or $120 for a 1-year permit. Applicants complete the required paperwork and may apply at home through www.recreation.gov, then print the registration and windshield tag. Applications and payments are also accepted in person at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Visitor Center or Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Visitor Center.

Obtaining an ORV permit is straightforward. The vehicle must be registered, licensed, insured, have no more than two axles, and use approved, road-legal tires. Drivers also need a low-pressure tire gauge, a jack, and a jack support board.

Driving knowledge helps when navigating deep, soft sand:

ORV entrances are identified by brown signs with white numbers and letters. Access points occur on both the ocean and sound sides of Highway 12, although ocean-side signs are generally larger and easier to see. Unless otherwise noted, ramps operate from 7am-9pm.

Year-round access is available at:

Seasonal ORV entrances and routes operate from October 15-April 14 unless another schedule is posted:

For much of the year, ORV travel is restricted to daylight hours: 7am-9pm May-July and 6:30am-9pm August-September. Exceptions apply. Depending on sea turtle nesting activity, since turtles nest in the dunes at night, night driving may be permitted on a specific route from September 15-November 15. Every route allows nighttime driving from November 16-April 30.

Horseback Riding

Visitors looking for more than a quiet beach day or lighthouse climb can see Hatteras Island and Cape Hatteras National Seashore from horseback. Riding along the shore, through the dunes, and among maritime woods offers another way to experience the Outer Banks.

Visitors may bring their own horses, although stable space can be difficult to find and lodging choices on the island will be limited. Another option is booking a ride with one of four permitted horseback tour guides: Equine Adventures, Hatteras Island Horseback, Lighthouse Horse Rides, and Outer Banks Horseback.

These guides lead individuals and small groups along Hatteras Island trails and beaches on rides lasting 1-, 2-, or 3- hours, as well as longer excursions.

Horseback riding is permitted year-round, but approved locations are limited. The National Parks Service allows riding:

Guides know which areas permit horses and which prohibit them, so riders should follow their direction. National Parks Service horseback riding regulations provide the complete requirements.

Watersports

Long stretches of beach without houses or hotels, some of the most reliable waves on the East Coast, and steady wind across the beach and Sound have made Hatteras Island a watersports destination. Surfing, standup paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, and kiteboarding can be seen throughout much of the year. Whether someone is an experienced paddler, a highly skilled surfer, or trying to stand on a board for the first time, Hatteras offers a way onto the water.

Hatteras Island has countless surf shops, including full-service stores where owners may close up when the waves are right. They sell boards and equipment and provide local knowledge about which breaks are working, which ones to avoid, equipment setups, and where to surf that day or the next.

Other shops rent equipment, provide lessons and camps, and sell souvenirs such as t-shirts. Visitors can find instruction and gear for surfing, standup paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and kiteboarding.

REAL Watersports

REAL Watersports, located in Waves, stocks surfboards, kiteboards, and other equipment. The shop offers private and small-group lessons, helping beginners learn surfing fundamentals and experienced surfers advance their skills. Surf camps are available for kids and adults who want more intensive instruction.

REAL Watersports also teaches kiteboarding and sells the necessary equipment. In kiteboarding, riders attach their feet to a small board similar to a wakeboard, connect to a parachute-like kite, and use the wind to move across the water.

Kiteboarders often skim across Pamlico Sound at Salvo and Haulover Day Use Areas, carving turns and performing leaps, spins, and tricks. They can also be found throughout the Sound and, when conditions permit, on the ocean.

REAL Watersports instructors teach proper kite control and board technique in a supervised setting, helping riders prepare to navigate wind and waves independently.

Surf Hatteras

Surf Hatteras focuses on instruction for teenagers. The program typically offers a dozen weeklong surf camps each year: 11 in summer and one in winter. Teens age 12-18 receive an introduction to surfing life.

The camps include home-cooked meals, lodging in Rodanthe within walking distance of the beach, a 1:2 teacher:student ratio, and daily photo and video sessions. Students at every ability level develop confidence, skills, and the physical abilities needed to progress in the sport.

Hatteras has earned its reputation as a premier surf location through its steady waves and unusual shoreline. The island’s elbow-shaped profile creates both East-facing and South-facing beaches within a short distance of one another. Surfers can therefore seek the more favorable conditions wherever the waves are breaking.

Cape Point and the beaches near Cape Hatteras Lighthouse are especially popular. Waves frequently break in both directions there and are often tall enough to form a tube, adding to the already strong conditions.

Visitors may bring a board or an entire quiver of surfboards. Rentals are also available for surfboards, standup paddleboards and gear, kayaks, canoes, and kiteboarding equipment. Because the Pamlico Sound and Atlantic Ocean are accessible along the island, getting onto the water is easy.

Standup paddleboarders, kayakers, and kiteboarders need places to reach Pamlico Sound in addition to the National Seashore’s beach access points. Salvo and Haulover Day Use Areas provide simple Sound access and ample space for preparing equipment.

The Pea Island Launch, north of Rodanthe, is another convenient option for kayakers and paddleboarders. Additional launch sites are scattered across Hatteras Island. Rental companies, surf shops, and tackle shops can recommend locations suited to a visitor’s preferred activity and experience.

Fishing and Fishing Piers

Hatteras Island is an angler’s paradise, with opportunities for surfcasting, fly fishing, inshore and offshore fishing, pier fishing, and pulling crab pots from Pamlico Sound. Anglers may catch a keeper, and even an unsuccessful day can produce a memorable story about the one that got away.

Fishing anywhere on Hatteras Island or elsewhere in the Outer Banks requires a Coastal Recreational Fishing License, available online and at most sporting goods stores and tackle shops. Licenses are offered for 10 days, 1 year, or a lifetime, with different costs for North Carolina residents and visitors.

For residents, 10-day and annual licenses cost $6 and $11. Lifetime license fees range from $16 for seniors to $106-265 depending on the age of the license holder. Non-residents pay $11 for a 10-day license, $32 for an annual license, and $530 for a lifetime license.

Individual licenses are not required when fishing from Rodanthe or Avon Fishing Piers or from a charter fishing boat.

Hatteras Island has many charter boats, supported by families who have guided or commercially fished for generations. Oregon Inlet Fishing Center is home to the largest and most modern charter fishing fleet on the East Coast.

Visitors may launch their own vessel from one of five ramps at the center or book a trip with one of dozens of captains. Charters departing from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center include full-day trips to the Gulf Stream, nearshore waters, or inshore Sound waters, as well as half-day morning or afternoon trips to nearshore or inshore areas.

A charter is not necessary to catch a limit. Multiple ORV access points in Cape Hatteras National Seashore provide routes to the beach for visitors with the required permit and vehicle. Anglers can drive onto the sand to surfcast, park and carry gear to the shoreline, or fish from one of the island’s two wooden piers: Rodanthe Fishing Pier and Avon Fishing Pier.

Rodanthe Fishing Pier in Rodanthe and Avon Fishing Pier in Avon welcome anglers and sightseers from the weekend before Easter through the weekend after Thanksgiving. During the full season, both piers are active fishing destinations.

Anglers line both sides of the nearly 700’ Rodanthe Fishing Pier and the 655’ Avon Fishing Pier, casting for flounder, sharks, skates, trout, and other species. At the ends, deeper water offers the possibility of cobia, red drum, and other large sportfish.

The wooden piers are weathered and photogenic. Wooden decks rest on wooden pilings, while sun and saltwater leave behind crooked railings and decks that slope uphill, downhill, or to either side. Locals who visit weekly or daily, visitors who have fished these waters since the 1960s, and nearby surfers all contribute to the character of the piers. Anglers and non-anglers alike should consider visiting them during a Hatteras Island trip.

Fishing at Rodanthe Fishing Pier or Avon Fishing Pier requires bringing gear or purchasing or renting it on site, paying the fee, and enjoying the day. No license is needed. Sightseers pay $2/ day or $10/week to walk onto a pier. Anglers pay more, with daily fishing passes ranging from $7-15/day. Weekly passes cost $60-75, season passes cost $200-400, and house passes cost $500-1,000/season. House passes allow an entire household to visit and are often included with vacation home rentals.

Fish availability changes with the season, location, and conditions. Monthly possibilities include:

When the fish are not biting—or when fresh seafood sounds better than doing the work—visitors can shop with fishmongers, shrimpers, crabbers, and fishermen. Some sell directly off the dock or boat, while others operate roadside stands in Hatteras Island villages. These sellers offer seafood to take home, with seasonal catches reflected in the monthly guide above.

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