Buxton, North Carolina Travel Guide
Plan your visit to Buxton, North Carolina, where Cape Hatteras Lighthouse anchors the landscape. During your time here, you can surf, choose a place to stay, and enjoy fresh local food.
In March 2026, Aaron Tuell from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau leads a look around Buxton, highlighting some of the people who help make the Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras memorable.
Following repeated storms and severe shoreline loss, Buxton is preparing to welcome back visitors, friends, and longtime OBX fans. The community is reconnecting travelers with the Hatteras Island experiences people come for: ORV beach driving, surfing, fishing, boating, birding, and standout food from both local and farther-away traditions.
About Buxton
Buxton lies on the broadest stretch of Hatteras Island and is home to the Island’s most recognizable landmark: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Like the other villages on Hatteras Island, Buxton has carried different names over time. In a 1788 deed, Indian Town was sold by a Native American woman to someone in the Midgette family. When the Post Office came in 1873, Buxton was called The Cape. In 1882, the village received its lasting name in honor of Judge Ralph P. Buxton.
The village sits at the elbow of Hatteras Island, where the Island bends westward. Mature maritime forests and modestly higher ground — around 10 feet above sea level — help make this one of the Island’s somewhat more sheltered areas, giving Buxton a bit more protection than some nearby villages. Close to that bend, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse rises nearly 200’ tall, warning ships away from Diamond Shoals. These submerged sandbars contributed to this coastline being known as The Graveyard of the Atlantic, where hundreds of vessels have wrecked here and nearby across the centuries.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is Buxton’s centerpiece, drawing more than a million visitors each year who come to see it and climb it. Two National Parks Service campgrounds give overnight guests a chance to sleep close to the lighthouse: one is a short drive away near Cape Point, while the other sits near Frisco and can be reached by the Inside Road, a 4x4 route that links the campgrounds.
Lighthouse Visits, Surfing, and Fishing
Many day visitors come to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for the museum, the views of the structure, and the climb to the top. Others arrive with the water in mind, especially for surfing and fishing. Surfers often gather near Cape Point, where Hatteras Island makes its true westward turn and waves break along East- or South-facing beaches.
Along the beach, anglers line the shore with tall surfcasting rods. Some walk in from parking areas or campgrounds, sometimes pulling beach trolleys, while many use ORV ramps to drive onto the sand and make the outing part of the adventure.
Watersports Around Buxton
Surfers and anglers are not the only people you will notice near Buxton and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Just north of town, Haulover Day Use Area gets frequent kitesurfing activity. Its name reflects the narrow shape of the Island here, where boats could be hauled over the dunes between the Sound and the ocean.
When conditions are right, dozens of kiteboarders may be seen skimming across the Sound while steady wind lifts their parachute-like kites. Pamlico Sound access is simple in this spot, and kayakers, windsurfers, and standup paddleboarders sometimes launch here as well.
Places to Stay in Buxton
The two National Park Campgrounds are only part of Buxton’s lodging mix. An RV park accommodates travelers with a large fifth-wheel or a jumbo-sized camper. A number of mom-and-pop hotels and motels provide classic beach-style stays.
The Inn on Pamlico Sound, an inn and restaurant located not far from the entrance to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, offers a more upscale option than some other accommodations. Together with oceanfront and soundside rental homes, these choices give Buxton a wide range of places to stay.
Shops, Groceries, Bakeries, and Dining
Buxton is home to one of the Island’s few family run grocery stores. Conner’s Supermarket, with its green siding and crisp white lettering, has become a local landmark. Buxton Books is another favorite stop, offering a thoughtfully chosen selection that includes local interest titles on history and cooking, fiction set on the Outer Banks, general fiction, and nonfiction. Orange Blossom Bakery is also a landmark, known for the pre-dawn line of anglers picking up breakfast sandwiches, biscuits, and the local specialty: Apple Uglies.
Across Buxton, visitors will find gift shops, souvenir shops, and tackle shops. You can pick up tee shirts and fudge, while also getting guidance on fishing and preparing your rig for the surf, waves, and currents. Restaurants serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with choices that span biscuit sandwiches and Apple Uglies, pizza and subs, casual pub fare, and fine dining. Seafood markets also sell fresh fish, oysters, clams, and more, making it easy to enjoy seafood even if you are not catching it yourself.
More Ways to Explore Buxton
Places To Stay
Buxton offers many types of lodging, including luxurious inns, affordable motels, and camping options in and around Buxton.
Restaurants
Dining choices in Buxton range from southern BBQ and hand-tossed pizza to fresh fish tacos, with meals suited for you and the whole family.
More Hatteras Island Villages
- Hatteras
- Frisco
- Avon
- Salvo
- Waves