Area Information

Hatteras Island is a special place!  Ask anyone who has visited our pristine beaches and experienced true natural beauty.  Even before they can verbalize their impressions, it is clearly evident in their expression.  The look on their face says it all...clearly Hatteras Island is a place like no other.

We often will hear how Hatteras Island is the Outer Banks, the way it used to be.  How very true! 

From the time you pass the world renowned Billfish Capital of the World, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, www.oregon-inlet.com, and drive over the towering Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, tranquility begins to take over.  You are about to experience island time!  Life is enjoyed at a slower pace and every day is enjoyed and cherished.

Beginning at Milepost 30 at the south end of the bridge you will travel through miles of nature at its best and vast unspoiled land rich in birds and wildlife.  The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge will amaze you.  Named so because of the abundance of a small plant whose tiny pink/lavender flowers matured to form beans that were packed with energy.  These "dune peas" provided a predictable food source for wintering geese.  The refuge was literally the "pea island" for snow geese.  Many come to the refuge for the most exquisite bird watching imaginable.  Deer, raccoons, possum and muskrats are often seen in the vegetation.  More information on this natural treasure can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/peaisland/.

The northern most tri-villages include Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo.  Rodanthe, historically named Chicamacomico (pronounced chick a ma COM eh co), is rich in lifesaving history.  A must stop is the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station, http://chicamacomico.net/, where tours, programs, lifesaving drills and reenactments as well as special events are open to the public from mid April through November.  Favorite local eateries include Atlantic Coast Cafe, Lisa's Pizzeria, Hot Tuna and Top Dog Cafe.  The tri-village area offers fantastic windsurfing and kite boarding in either the Pamlico Sound or the Atlantic Ocean. 

Surfing is another favorite pastime in these villages.  The Hatteras Island fishing pier, http://www.hatterasislandresort.com/, is a great place to take the family for a fun fishing adventure.   Another fun outing for the family is Waterfall Park, Hatteras Island's only amusement park offering bumper boats, go-karts, putt-putt and other activities.  Four wheel drive access is available at the south end of Salvo, via Ramp 23.  Don't forget Saltwater Fishing Licenses are now required (fishing piers and charter boats are the only exception).  For more information on beach ramps and fishing piers: http://hatterasislander.com/HatterasIslandBeachAccess.html.  There is also a picnic area and sandy beach for fun in the sun with little ones who find the ocean a bit intimidating.  The Salvo Day Use Area is a great place to pack a lunch, cook out and soak up the sun while the kids play in the shallow waters of the Pamlico Sound.  Perhaps they would enjoy crabbing from the water's edge.  For your convenience restroom facilities are in place as well as grills and picnic tables.

When ready to venture further south you will travel through even more of the undeveloped National Park where many four wheel drive beach accesses are available.  Also, accesses to the Pamlico Sound are scattered throughout the island which may or may not require four wheel drive.  The only architecture you will find in this unspoiled drive is the Little Kinnakeet Lifesaving Station, http://www.nps.gov/history/maritime/park/kinnlss.htm, which was established in 1874.  The station was deactivated in 1954 but is certainly an interesting stopping point in your travels.  Our coastal area is abundant in maritime history and lifesaving stations, both Chicamacomico and Little Kinnakeet are very important pieces of history.

Avon, historically named Kinnakeet, is the next stop.  Like many of the Hatteras Island villages Avon was named so by the US Postal Service.  It has been presumed the Indian names were too hard to spell and pronounce.  Kinnakeet is still used today by many native islanders.  Avon offers the island's movie theater, RC Theatres, which offers a variety of movies and showing times year round.  You can view the schedule on the web site http://www.fandango.com/rchatterasmovies4_aanrx/theaterpage.  Avon Fishing Pier is a fun stop with a restaurant and 18-hole grass putting course.  Favorite restaurants include Nino's Pizza, Dolphin Den, Dirty Dick's Crabhouse, Mad Crabber, Oceana's Bistro and Topper's Pizza.

A popular spot for windsurfing and kite boarding is known as Canadian Hole, http://www.windvisions.com/Hatteras/canadian_hole.html, which has been renamed Haulover Day Use Area.  Restroom facilities are on site for your convenience.  Here the skies are splashed with color from sailboards and kites from around the world.
Buxton is most famous for being the location of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse on the American coast at 208 feet and a true wonder of the world.  The lighthouse is open to the public where more information can be found at http://www.nps.gov/caha/.

Buxton prides itself for offering the best surfing and surf fishing on the island at Cape Point or "The Point".  Proximity to the convergence of the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream result in the largest surf available on the East Coast.  It is known as the best fishing spot for Red Drum.  Sit back, drop your line in the water and expect some excellent fishing action.

Here there are many choices of eateries including Finnegan's Dining Haul, Diamond Shoals, The Captain's Table, Buxton Munch Company, The Fish House, Sandbar and Grille and Pop's Raw Bar. 

Frisco, also know as Trent, was once home to the Croatan Indians. The Frisco Native American Museum and History Center, http://nativeamericanmuseum.org/, offers historical evidence and stories of the Native American lifestyle in Frisco.  The museum also celebrates the Journey Home Inter-tribal Powwow held each spring, http://www.nativeamericanmuseum.org/dancing.html.  Many Native Americans come to celebrate the special event in an area rich in Native American history.

Frisco is home to the Billy Mitchell Airport named for the American General regarded as one of the most famous figures in American airpower history.  He is known as the father of the US Air Force.  The airport is for public use offering one runway and is operated by the National Park Service.  Burrus Flightseeing Tours offers a unique perspective to those interested in seeing the island from the skies.  More information can be found at http://www.hatterasislandflightseeing.com/. 

Ocean Edge Golf Course is located in Frisco and is the only golf course on the island.  It is one of the most scenic coastal courses in North Carolina.  You can play 9 holes on your way to the beach or play a full 18.

The Quarterdeck Restaurant in Frisco is a local and visitor favorite for lunch and dinner.  Locally owned and operated the hospitality is unsurpassed and the food is not only traditional but delicious!

On your way to Hatteras Village you may want to stop to fish from the Cape Hatteras Fishing Pier, also called the Frisco Pier.  At 580 feet long it's a very popular fishing spot.

Meet Hatteras Village at Milepost 70, a quaint and charming fishing village and home to Hatteras Island's charter fishing fleet. Schedule a charter on one of the many boats who can throw the lines in the water the fastest with the shortest run to the Gulf Stream.  The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is our gem of the maritime history museums.  Learn about the history of shipwrecks and more during your visit.  More information can be found at: http://www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com/.

After a long day of sightseeing, food is plentiful in the village.  The Shrimp Shack, Martha Jane's Deli, Rocco's Pizza and Dirty Dick's Crabhouse offer lunch and dinner.  If in town during dinner hours, be sure to stop at Dinky's or the Breakwater for an awesome meal.

Hatteras Village is home to a free ferry to Ocracoke, named Dr. Beach's #1 Best Beach in America in 2007. A continuation of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, you'll find miles of beaches, the wild Banker Ponies and lore of Blackbeard the Pirate who roamed the island long ago.  In the heart of the village you can find the Ocracoke Lighthouse, British Cemetery and charm beyond belief.  Howard's Pub and the Jolly Roger are among the local's favorites to grab a bite to eat.

Now that we've given you the tour, be our guest and experience it first hand.  It's so much better in person.

Time is of the essence when it comes to being happy...so why wait? Start now!