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National Parks

National Park Travel: Cruisin' Cape Hatteras

May 13, 2008 at 4:17 PM | 0 Comments

Apparently, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a better tourist attraction than the tallest brick lighthouse in the US. North Carolina's Outer Banks is home to both, but the area earned the nickname "The Graveyard of the Atlantic" thanks to all the ships that have been lost off the shore.

Visitors are free to bring their vehicles onto the sand and shore to find the perfect spot for a summer afternoon. As of this May, though, drivers can only practice sand time trials between the hours of 6 am and 10 pm. The new rules are in effect in order to protect the nesting areas of the sea turtle and shore bird populations in this area.

Further south, Ocracoke Island is the most remote island of the Outer Banks and can only be reached by free ferry from Hatteras Island. Not to be outdone by its sibling to the north, Ocracoke has its own snazzy lighthouse as well as an excellent beach.

If you grow tired of all the swimming, driving, and lighthouse looking, snag a spot on the beach and set up camp. Fees start at $20 a night this summer; be sure to get there early.

Related Stories:
· Cape Hatteras National Seashore [Official Site]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Seamus Murray]