Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Hatteras Island (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, and Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center. Also, be sure to include Pea Island Art Gallery in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Hatteras Island (North Carolina).
Table of Contents
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Lighthouse in Dare County, North Carolina. Cape Hatteras Light is a lighthouse located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks in the town of Buxton, North Carolina and is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The lighthouse’s semi-unique pattern makes it easy to recognize and famous. It is often ranked high on lists of most beautiful, and famous lighthouses in the US.
The Outer Banks are a group of barrier islands on the North Carolina coast that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the coastal sounds and inlets. Atlantic currents in this area made for excellent travel for ships, except in the area of Diamond Shoals, just offshore at Cape Hatteras. Nearby, the warm Gulf Stream ocean current collides with the colder Labrador Current, creating ideal conditions for powerful ocean storms and sea swells. The large number of ships that ran aground because of these shifting sandbars gave this area the nickname "Graveyard of the Atlantic." It also led the U.S. Congress to authorize the construction of the Cape Hatteras Light. Its 198-foot height makes it the tallest brick lighthouse structure in the United States and 2nd in the world. Since its base is almost at sea level, it is only the 15th highest light in the United States, the first 14 being built on higher ground.[1]
Address: Lighthouse Rd, 27920 Buxton
Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station
Museum in Rodanthe, North Carolina. The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station is a former station of the United States Life-Saving Service and United States Coast Guard. It is located in Rodanthe, North Carolina, on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks, on the east side of what is today Highway 12. Today, the surviving buildings of the station form a museum.[2]
Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center
Specialty museum, Museum, History museum
Address: 53536 NC-12, 27936 Frisco
Pea Island Art Gallery
Art gallery, Shopping, Museum
Address: 27766 NC-12, 27959 Kinnakeet
Salvo Post Office
The Salvo Post Office is a historic post office building located at Salvo, in Dare County, North Carolina, on the Outer Banks. It was built about 1910, and is a small frame building measuring 8 feet by 12 feet. The interior consists of the post office lobby and the postmaster's workroom. It reflects a unique tradition of a portable building being purchased by succeeding postmasters and moved to their respective properties. It is recognized by the U.S. Postal Service as the second-smallest post office building in the nation, after the Ochopee Post Office in Florida. It was restored after being damaged by fire in October 1992.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[3]
Rodanthe Pier
Piers and boardwalks, Surf spot
Address: 24251 Atlantic Dr, 27968 Rodanthe
Avon Fishing Pier NC
Piers and boardwalks
Address: 41001 Highway 12, 27915 Avon
Kinnakeet Clay- Studio & Showroom
Gift shop, Art gallery, Museum, Shopping
Address: 40462 North End Rd, 27915 Avon
Sunsational Designs Gallery & Beads of Paradise
Gift shop, Shopping, Museum, Art gallery
Address: 53255 Hwy 12, 27936 Frisco
Rasmus Midgett House
Rasmus Midgett House is a historic home located at Waves, Dare County, North Carolina. It was built in four phases starting about 1855. It is a two-story, three bay, frame I-house dwelling with a two-story rear ell. It features a one-story, full width front porch. It was moved to its present location in 1937, after being knocked off its foundation. Also on the property is a family cemetery.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.[4]