A beach landscape with the black and white spiraled lighthouse in the background
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse NPS Photo

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

National Seashore / Lakeshore · North Carolina · National Park Service

The sound of ocean waves, the starry night sky, or the calm of the salt marshes, you can experience it all. Shaped by the forces of water, wind, and storms these islands are ever changing. The plants, wildlife, and people who live here adapt continually. Whether you are enjoying the beach, kayaking the sound, or climbing the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse there is something for everyone to explore!

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Hiking

Camping

Camping · Group Camping · RV Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Phone
2524732111
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Maritime · Lighthouses · Piracy and Privateering · Ships and Shipwrecks · Military · US Navy · US Coast Guard · US Air Force (Army Air Corps) · Science, Technology and Innovation · Wars and Conflicts · Civil War · World War II · Animals · Birds · Tortoises and Turtles · Climate Change · Coasts, Islands and Atolls · Night Sky · Astronomy · Oceans · Unique Species · Endangered

Activities & features: Auto and ATV · Auto Off-Roading · Astronomy · Stargazing · Car or Front Country Camping · Fishing · Saltwater Fishing · Food · Picnicking · Hunting and Gathering · Hunting · Paddling · Canoeing · Kayaking · Junior Ranger Program · Snorkeling · Surfing · Swimming · Saltwater Swimming · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Museum Exhibits · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • A young girl paddles across the water with the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse visible in the distance.
    NPS Photo
  • A large sandy colored turtle facing the camera on the beach
    NPS Photo
  • Two kids play in the sand.
    NPS Photo
  • a yellow glow of the risiing sun over the beach and ocean
    NPS Photo

Nearby parks

Parks of North Carolina

Fort Macon State ParkGoose Creek State ParkCrowders Mountain State ParkLake Waccamaw State ParkMount Jefferson State Natural AreaMorrow Mountain State ParkSouth Mountains State ParkMerchants Millpond State ParkCliffs of the Neuse State ParkCape Lookout National SeashoreWilliam B. Umstead State ParkMayo River State ParkFalls Lake State Recreation AreaPettigrew State ParkNew River State ParkMoores Creek National BattlefieldGuilford Courthouse National Military ParkCarolina Beach State ParkDismal Swamp State ParkOvermountain Victory National Historic TrailMedoc Mountain State ParkGrandfather Mountain State ParkKerr Lake State Recreation AreaRaven Rock State ParkFort Fisher State Recreation AreaLake Norman State ParkJockey's Ridge State ParkLumber River State ParkJordan Lake State Recreation AreaGorges State ParkLake James State ParkSingletary Lake State ParkFort Raleigh National Historic SiteElk Knob State ParkPilot Mountain State ParkBlue Ridge ParkwayOcconeechee Mountain State Natural AreaEno River State ParkCarl Sandburg Home National Historic SiteHammocks Beach State ParkMount Mitchell State ParkHanging Rock State ParkJones Lake State ParkStone Mountain State ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National ParkWright Brothers National MemorialWeymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

48 parks mapped in North Carolina

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12