Protecting the treacherous coastline of the Diamond Shoals, the Cape Hatteras Light Station is the most famous of the lighthouses along the Outer Banks. With an impressive height of 208 feet tall, it is the tallest brick beacon of light in the US offering spectacular coast views that extend from Avon to Hatteras Village. It was at the insistence of Alexander Hamilton, who grew up on this dangerous coast that insisted on the building of Cape Hatteras lighthouse.
I remember when I was young our family would visit the Outer Banks over the summer. I enjoyed the moments we spent at the beach, but a visit to the Cape Hatteras was a vacation pilgrimage. During each visit, we would climb the 257 steps to the top and look out into the ocean and the sound. We considered it one of the highlights of our Cape Hatteras trip.
Our family experienced a once in a lifetime event at Cape Hatteras in 1999. Watching the historical move of the lighthouse, inching its way across the sand, was a week we would never forget. My grandfather even bought the t-shirt to prove he was there.
Due to storms and hurricanes, the beach was gradually eroding, threatening the stabilization of the structure. It was feared that the lighthouse would eventually collapse into the Atlantic Ocean, so it was decided that it should be transported about 2,900 feet inland.
The Cape Hatteras Light Station is open seven days a week from Easter to Thanksgiving. National Park rangers provide guided tours to the top for a small fee. Over 175,000 visitors drop in on the famous lighthouse with its familiar black and white barber pole stripes. Operated by the National Park Service is the Hatteras Island Visitor Center and Museum of the Sea in close proximity to the lighthouse. There are several exhibits, the visitor center, ranger programs and a bookstore as well as a .75 mile nature trail to Cape Point and a shaded picnic area nearby. For many visitors to the Outer Banks, spending time at Cape Hatteras is a family tradition with fond memories of their visit to this fabulous coastal destination.
Have you visited the Cape Hatteras Light Station? What were some of the highlights of your trip to the Outer Banks! I would love to hear from you if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my time spent at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and wishing you many Happy Travels!
What to See and What to Do:
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
46368 Lighthouse Road
Buxton, NC 27920
Telephone: 252 473 2111
Where to Stay:
Hatteras Island Inn
46745 NC-12
Buxton, NC 27920
Telephone: 252 995 6100
Where to Eat:
The Captain’s Table
47048 NC-12
Buxton, NC 27920
Telephone: 252 995 3117
We had already eaten lunch up in Corolla, so we thought we would enjoy a small meal to tie us over for dinner. I was excited to try the fried oysters, taking advantage of the local seafood.
What to Eat:
- Crab Benedict at Sam and Ornies on Nag’s Head
- Frogmore Stew Steamer Bucket from Armstrong’s Seafood in Nag’s Head
- Donuts at Duck Donuts
- Carolina Barbecue at Pigman’s BBQ on Nag’s Head
What to Read:
- Hatteras Blue, by David Poyer
- Early from the Dance, by David Payne
- Surf Men by C.T. Marshall
- Murder at Hatteras by Joe C. Ellis
- Return to the Outer Banks by Diann Ducharme
Photo Guide for the Outer Banks
- Pea Island Wildlife Refuge for capturing local birds
- Jennette’s Pier to photograph local fishermen and beautiful sunrises
- Ocracoke Horses
- Triangle Shipwreck at Kill Devils Hill
- Shipwreck artifacts at Seagreen Gallery
- The Cape Hatteras lighthouse at Cape Hatteras
- Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo