Visit The Outer Banks

Hatteras Island — A More Unspoiled Outer Banks Experience

Leave the bustle of the city behind and head to Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco or Hatteras for long beaches, abundant fishing, and off-road adventures.

Hatteras Island

North Carolina’s Outer Banks follows the coast in a chain marked by lighthouses. This once-wild landscape has played a role in major moments in American history, from the first English child born in the New World, to the first flight taken by humankind, to the first foothold of the U.S. Life Saving Service, now called the Coast Guard, in North Carolina. Much of that wilderness has since been developed. Many visitors associate The Outer Banks with the northern villages between Nags Head and Duck, where beach houses, hotels and restaurants line the shore. Hatteras Island offers something different: a glimpse of the Outer Banks before the wider world arrived.

Hatteras Island consists of seven villages, two lighthouses, and one National Seashore. In Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village, history and modern life meet. Wooden fishing boats that once brought in the day’s catch with hand-woven nets have given way to sleek charter vessels bound 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 operate on electricity rather than whale oil, yet their beams still reach across the hidden hazards of Diamond Shoals and Oregon Inlet. Everywhere, the island feels singular.

Hatteras Island National Seashore

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

All seven villages are within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, along with woods, dunes, marshland, and beaches that remain remarkably pristine.

For many years, Hatteras Islanders kept this place largely to themselves. Families earned their living on the water, bringing nets of fish ashore, collecting oysters and clams by the barrel, and risking their own lives to rescue people shipwrecked on the sandbars and shoals offshore. For generations, daily life changed very little. Residents watched the Bodie Island Lighthouses rise from the sand, shine into the windblown nights, and eventually give way to taller, sturdier replacements. They saw the Hatteras Lighthouse rise above the trees, endure grapeshot and musket ball during the Civil War, and later move inland in 1999 as the sea advanced.

The island has endured countless shipwrecks, earning this coast the name The Graveyard of The Atlantic. Pirates, including Blackbeard, passed through. Hatteras Island experienced the Civil War, German U-Boats during World War II, and repeated storms. Its villages have carried a dozen names. Through all of this, the island and its people have persisted.

Today, Hatteras Island draws people looking for the Outer Banks in its most unspoiled form, surfers in search of a perfect break, anglers chasing the one that escaped, families creating memories in a beloved setting, and locals who care for the island deeply.

Hatteras Island Recreation

Hatteras Island offers plenty to do, while largely avoiding the arcades, mini golf, go karts, and boardwalks associated with other beach towns. Life here is simpler. Visitors climb the lighthouses, paint them, or search for the ideal viewpoint for a dramatic photograph. Anglers join charter fleets at Oregon Inlet and Hatteras Village, where the Gulf Stream lies only 15 miles offshore and sportfish are within easy reach. Others fish the inshore waters of Pamlico Sound, including its marshes and creeks.

The beach is another major draw. Visitors drive 4x4s onto the sand, find a secluded place to surf cast, and watch pelicans dive for food. Many come simply to slow their pace, breathe deeply, enjoy an empty stretch of beach, and reconnect with family, friends, and themselves.

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

Hatteras Island is wild, welcoming, and unlike any other place. It recalls the Outer Banks of earlier generations, with a deep sense of charm and hospitality. The island offers a way to encounter the full history of the Outer Banks and creates the kind of experience that brings people back year after year, counting the days until they can stand beneath Cape Hatteras Lighthouse again.

Outer Banks National Scenic Byway

Near the entrance to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, roadside signs indicate that travelers have entered the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. The National Seashore and National Byway begin in the same location but finish at different points. Cape Hatteras National Seashore extends 70 miles, while the Outer Banks Scenic Byway follows Highway 12 through the National Seashore and then continues by ferry to its southern terminus in Carteret County.

The Outer Banks Scenic Byway is one of three national scenic byways in North Carolina. It is recognized for cultural contributions to the state’s heritage and identity, as well as for its unspoiled natural scenery and pristine surroundings. Locations including Chicamacomico US Life-saving Station and Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum add historical and cultural context. Wayfinding signs and roadside destinations continue to expand the story, pointing travelers toward historic events, simple vistas, overlooks, and other places connected to the American story.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras National Seashore begins at Whalebone Junction and Bodie Island, pronounced “body.” An inlet once separated Bodie Island from Nags Head and the northern Outer Banks, but the inlet has since filled in. Today, the island’s protected beaches, maritime forest, and broad marsh complex introduce the landscape found farther south. Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Ocracoke Lighthouse serve as the three lighthouse guardians within Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Traveling south from Whalebone Junction, visitors soon see the black crown of Bodie Island Lighthouse above the pine trees. The lighthouse stands 156’ high and sends a warning beam out over the ocean. Its black-and-white stripes make it especially photogenic. Such identifying patterns are called “daymarks,” helping sailors distinguish one lighthouse from another. Each lighthouse also has a unique “nightmark,” expressed through the pattern of its flashing light.

The lighthouse keeper’s cottage and additional outbuildings now house museums with historic photographs and stories about the site. Tickets for climbing Bodie Island Lighthouse are also sold there.

Climbs are available 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, operating from 9am to 4:30pm, when the final group begins ascending the spiral staircase. Only eight visitors may climb at once. The nearly 200 steps to the viewing platform require time and effort, so arriving early is recommended.

From the summit, visitors can see the Atlantic Ocean, Pamlico Sound, and the narrow strips of Bodie and Hatteras Islands. The view also reveals the marshes and creeks that protect the island from Pamlico Sound. A trail on the west side of the parking area leads to fishing locations and less familiar perspectives for photographing Bodie Island Lighthouse. The trail can be difficult, so sturdy footwear is preferable to sneakers, and flip flops should be avoided.

The present lighthouse was built in 1872 and is the third Bodie Island Lighthouse on this part of the coast. The first lighthouse was built in 1847 several miles south, just beyond Oregon Inlet. Its foundation was unstable in the shifting sand, and after 2 years it had developed a noticeable lean. It was abandoned in 1859 and replaced.

The second Bodie Light began operation in 1858, also south of Oregon Inlet. It remained until the opening years of the Civil War, when retreating Confederate troops destroyed it to obstruct Union naval forces. Construction of the current black-and-white Bodie Island Lighthouse began in 1871, and the completed tower first shone its beacon in 1872.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

After crossing Oregon Inlet on the Marc Basnight Bridge from Nags Head toward Cape Hatteras National Seashore, visitors quickly encounter the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge sign. This does not indicate a wrong turn; the refuge is still part of the Hatteras Island experience.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge protects 13 miles of habitat for migratory birds, sea turtles, and many other animals. Birdwatchers travel here specifically to observe species in the area, although the refuge is rewarding even for casual visitors. Returning regularly 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 bird species, 25 species of mammals, 24 species of reptiles, and 5 types of amphibians, including frogs and salamanders. Walking trails end at observation platforms overlooking active bird colonies. Travelers can also pull off the road when something catches their attention.

The beach across from the Pea Island Visitor Center can be a good place to find seashells. About 100 yards offshore, what may look like a stove pipe is actually the wreck of the Oriental. The Oriental Steamer was a 210' federal tanker that ran aground approximately three miles south of Oregon Inlet on May 16, 1862, during the American Civil War. The visible section is the remaining portion of its steam engine.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

At the tip of Hatteras Island, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has represented the Outer Banks for more than 150 years. It is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. Its 198’ tower and black-and-white spiral pattern, a distinctive type of “daymark,” make it instantly recognizable to sailors, residents, and visitors.

The lighthouse’s history is best appreciated from the top, where the view extends over the waves, the submerged sandbars of Diamond Shoals, and the shoreline as it runs north before turning southwest. The current tower is the second Cape Hatteras Light.

The first lighthouse, constructed in 1803, stood only 90’ high and used a whale-oil lantern. Because it was too short and produced too weak a beam, the tower was modified, adding 60’ and installing a stronger lens to magnify the guiding light. The resulting “new” lighthouse began operating by 1853. Wind, waves, and the Civil War later damaged the tower, and by 1870 a completely new lighthouse had been built—the structure visible today.

There is more to the story. Looking north from the top, visitors can locate the original lighthouse site, with help from the Park Ranger stationed there if needed. Rising seas and active storm seasons eroded the beach and brought the ocean increasingly close. By 1935, the Hatteras Light had been decommissioned and replaced by a skeletal steel tower called the Buxton Light.

Barrier islands can both lose and gain sand. By 1950, the beach had stabilized enough for Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to return to service. Erosion resumed from the 1960s through the 1980s, bringing the ocean dangerously near the tower. The solution was to move the lighthouse.

During the summer of 1999, over a 23-day period, the 198’ tower and all 1.25 million bricks in it were lifted from their foundation and relocated 2,900 feet to the current site. The historic lighthouse keeper’s cottages and outbuildings were moved as well. Climbing Cape Hatteras Lighthouse remains a rite of passage. The 257 steps lead to a catwalk with an expansive view.

Self-guided climbs operate from the third Friday in April through Columbus Day in early October. Tickets are $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 nature-shaped playground. Activities include beachcombing for driftwood, the elusive Scotch Bonnet shell, and pieces of debris from underwater wrecks; watching birds near waterfowl impoundment ponds; surfing, kayaking, and kiteboarding; fishing; driving a 4x4 on the beach; climbing Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras Lighthouses; and relaxing near the Atlantic Ocean.

Visitors can paddle across Pamlico Sound on a standup paddleboard, build a beach fire with a permit while following the required rules, or ride a horse through the surf. Above all, Hatteras Island offers room to rest, relax, unwind, and enjoy an ideal Outer Banks escape.

Beach Access

Whether the goal is fishing, surfing, sunbathing, or collecting shells, most visits to Hatteras Island include time at the beach. Every island village has beach access points, as do many locations within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, although some are not open to the public.

Many beach homes have private access, including boarded walkways or rough paths through the dunes. These may serve a single home, a cul-de-sac, or every resident and renter on a particular street or neighborhood. Visitors still have many public access options.

Across Highway 12 from Bodie Island Lighthouse, Coquina Beach Day Use Area provides parking, showers, changing rooms, and restrooms. Salvo Day Use Area has picnic tables along Pamlico Sound and a route across the dunes to the ocean 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 beach accesses have lifeguards. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, daily coverage runs from 9am-5pm at Coquina Beach on Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach beside the lighthouse, and Frisco Beach just south of the village. All other accesses are unguarded, so swimmers should take appropriate precautions before entering the water.

Beach Access points use brown signs with white lettering, and many have numbers shared with ORV areas. Hatteras Island access 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 there, including the ABA-accessible Bodie Island Marsh Blind. Blind conditions and availability vary, so hunters should be ready to build a temporary blind if needed.

Hunters must have a valid North Carolina hunting license with waterfowl privileges, Federal Harvest Program (HIP) certification, and a Ducks Unlimited stamp. Registration takes place at the Whalebone Junction Information Station at 4:30am, where hunters receive an assigned hunt area.

Hunting procedures and regulations cover maximum party size, firearms and ammunition, retriever dogs, and entrance and exit procedures. These rules are regularly updated by Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Off Road Vehicle Use on Hatteras Island

Trucks and SUVs driving along the beach are a familiar sight on Hatteras Island and throughout Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Anglers, surfers, thrill seekers, and adventurous beachgoers use the National Seashore’s ORV, or Off Road Vehicle, system to reach the sand. Some shoreline areas are available to permitted ORVs year-round, while others operate seasonally. Either way, a permit from the National Parks Service is required before lowering tire pressure and entering the beach.

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

Permit requirements include a registered, licensed, insured vehicle with no more than two axles and approved, road-legal tires. Drivers also need a low-pressure tire gauge, a jack, and a jack support board. Full procedures, requirements and registration information are provided by the National Parks Service.

Driving knowledge helps in deep, soft sand:

ORV access points have brown signs with white numbers and letters. Ocean-side and sound-side entrances are located along Highway 12, with larger, more visible signs on the ocean side. Unless marked otherwise, ramps operate from 7am-9pm.

Year-round access locations include:

Seasonal ORV access points and routes operate from October 15-April 14 unless otherwise identified:

For much of the year, ORV driving is restricted to daylight periods: 7am-9pm May-July and 6:30am-9pm August-September, with exceptions. Depending on sea turtle nesting, which occurs in the dunes at night, nighttime ORV travel may be permitted on a particular route from September 15-November 15. All routes permit nighttime driving from November 16-April 30.

Horseback Riding

Visitors who want more than a quiet beach day or lighthouse climb can experience Hatteras Island on horseback. Riding along the beach, through the dunes, and within the maritime woods offers another perspective on the Outer Banks.

Visitors may bring their own horse, although stable space can be difficult to find and lodging choices on the island will be limited. Another option is a guided ride with one of four permitted operators: Equine Adventures, Hatteras Island Horseback, Lighthouse Horse Rides, and Outer Banks Horseback. These guides take individuals and small groups along Hatteras Island trails and beaches for 1-, 2-, 3- hour or longer rides.

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

Guides know which areas allow horses and which prohibit them, but the National Parks Service maintains the complete horseback-riding regulations.

Watersports

Hatteras Island combines long beaches without rows of houses and hotels, some of the East Coast’s most reliable waves, and steady wind across the beach and Sound. Surfing, standup paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, and kiteboarding take place here through much of the year. Experienced paddlers and surfers can find challenges, while first-timers can also get onto the water.

The island has numerous surf shops, including serious working shops rather than only souvenir stores selling t-shirts and hats. Some owners close the doors when the waves are ideal. Visitors can buy boards and equipment and get advice about the best breaks, less favorable locations, fin setups, and where conditions may be best later that day or the next. Other shops rent equipment, provide lessons and camps, and sell memorabilia from Hatteras Island surf sessions.

REAL Watersports in Waves carries surfboards, kiteboards, and other equipment. The business offers private and small-group lessons, introducing beginners to surfing and helping experienced surfers improve. Surf camps are available for both kids and adults.

REAL Watersports also teaches kiteboarding and sells the necessary equipment. Riders attach their feet to a small wakeboard-style board, connect to a parachute-like kite, and let the wind pull them across the water. Kiteboarders often skim Pamlico Sound near Salvo and Haulover Day Use Areas, making sharp turns and performing jumps, spins, and other tricks. They can also be seen elsewhere on the Sound and, when conditions permit, on the ocean.

Instruction from REAL Watersports covers kite control and board technique, with instructors helping riders prepare to handle wind and waves independently.

Surf Hatteras focuses on teen instruction and generally operates a dozen weeklong surf camps annually: 11 in summer and one in winter. Teens age 12-18 receive home-cooked meals, lodging in Rodanthe within walking distance of the beach, a 1:2 teacher:student ratio, and daily photo and video shoots. Students at every skill level develop confidence, technique, and the physical abilities needed to advance in surfing.

Hatteras is considered a prime surf destination because of its consistent waves and the island’s unusual elbow-shaped form. East-facing and South-facing beaches are located close together, allowing surfers to find favorable conditions as the waves shift. Cape Point and the beaches around Cape Hatteras Lighthouse are popular because waves often break in both directions and frequently rise enough to form tubes.

Visitors may bring a board or an entire quiver of surfboards, or rent surfboards, standup paddleboards and equipment, kayaks, canoes, or kiteboarding gear. With the Pamlico Sound and Atlantic Ocean accessible along the island, finding a way onto the water is straightforward.

The National Seashore’s beach access points are supplemented by locations where standup paddleboarders, kayakers, and kiteboarders can reach Pamlico Sound. Salvo and Haulover Day Use Areas offer convenient launch access and ample setup space. The Pea Island Launch, north of Rodanthe, is another option for kayakers and paddleboarders. Additional launch sites exist throughout Hatteras Island. Rental providers, surf shops, and tackle shops can suggest locations suited to different paddling preferences.

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. Visitors can catch a keeper or at least return home with a story about the fish that got away.

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

For residents, 10-day and annual licenses cost $6 and $11. Lifetime fees range from $16 for seniors to $106-265 depending on the holder’s age. Non-residents pay $11 for a 10-day license, $32 for an annual license, or $530 for a lifetime license. Anglers fishing from Rodanthe or Avon Fishing Piers or from a charter boat do not need an individual license.

Hatteras Island has many charter boats, supported by families who have guided visitors or worked commercially as fishermen for generations. Oregon Inlet Fishing Center is home to the largest and most modern charter fishing fleet on the East Coast. Visitors can launch personal boats from one of five ramps or book one of the dozens of captains.

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center charters include full-day trips to the Gulf Stream, nearshore waters, or inshore waters in the Sounds. Half-day morning and afternoon trips are also available for nearshore and inshore fishing.

Charters are not required to catch a limit. ORV access points throughout Cape Hatteras National Seashore lead directly to the beach for visitors with a permit and a suitable vehicle. Anglers can drive onto the sand for surfcasting or park and carry their equipment to the shoreline. Two wooden piers also offer access: 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 season, anglers line both sides of the nearly 700’ Rodanthe Fishing Pier and 655’ Avon Fishing Pier, catching flounder, sharks, skates, trout, and other species in the surf. At the ends, they cast into deeper water in hopes of landing cobia, red drum, or another large sportfish.

The wooden piers are visually appealing and full of character. Their decks and pilings show the effects of the seasons, with sun- and salt-warped railings and decks that may slope uphill, downhill, or to either side. Locals visit favorite fishing spots weekly or daily, while some visitors have fished these waters since the 1960s. Surfers ride waves nearby. Anglers and non-anglers alike will find a visit worthwhile during a Hatteras Island getaway.

Fishing at Rodanthe or Avon Fishing Pier requires bringing equipment or purchasing or renting it on site, paying the applicable fee, and enjoying the day. No license is required. Sightseers pay $2/ day or $10/week to walk onto a pier. Anglers pay more, with daily fishing passes costing $7-15/day. Weekly passes cost $60-75, season passes cost $200-400, and house passes cost $500-1,000/season. A house pass covers everyone staying in a house and is often included with home rentals.

Fish availability changes according to season, location, and conditions. The monthly guide includes:

When the fish are not cooperating—or when fresh seafood sounds better than catching it—visitors can buy from fishmongers, shrimpers, crabbers, and fishermen throughout Hatteras Island. Some sell from permanent stands, docks, boats, roadside locations, or village setups. Their offerings vary, but the seasonal guide provides an indication of what may be available on ice to take home.

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