Hatteras Island is the wild half of the Outer Banks — fifty miles of national seashore hung between two bridges and a ferry, with seven villages (Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras) strung along a single road. If the northern beaches are a resort, Hatteras is an expedition you can do in sneakers.
Come for the tallest brick lighthouse in the country, the emptiest drivable beaches, and wind that made this coast world-famous among people who ride it. Everything below is on the map.
Open this map full-screen in Google Maps — handy for saving it offline before you lose signal.
Things to Do in Hatteras Island
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, at 46379 Lighthouse Rd in Buxton, is the tallest brick lighthouse in the US at 198 feet — and it’s closed for climbing through at least the end of 2026 while a $19.2 million restoration runs. Go anyway: the scaffolded, unpainted tower is a sight you’ll never see again once the work is done, and the grounds, Museum of the Sea, and park store stay open.
Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, at 23645 NC-12 in Rodanthe, is a beautifully preserved 1874 station of the service that became the Coast Guard — a self-guided museum across several original buildings, with a small entry fee and open days that vary seasonally. Catch a beach-apparatus drill demonstration if the schedule lines up.
Canadian Hole, the Haulover Day Use Area between Avon and Buxton, is a world-famous windsurfing and kiteboarding launch on the sound — shallow, calm, and beginner-friendly, with the ocean a short dune-walk across the road. Free parking, seasonal restrooms, and sunsets that are the whole show.
The piers: Rodanthe Pier at 24251 Atlantic Dr is the old-school wooden one — dog-friendly, cheap walk-on, open 6 AM to midnight in season. Avon Pier at 41001 NC-12 opened its 2026 season on April 2, with rod rentals, bait, and a small walk-on fee.
The ORV beaches are the island’s signature: numbered ramps put true 4WDs on the sand from Rodanthe to the inlet. A National Park Service permit is required — $120 for the year or $50 for ten days — nesting closures reshape access in spring and summer, and night driving is restricted 9 PM to 7 AM from May 1 to November 15. Check the NPS beach status before you go, and check our tide site too — a rising tide narrows the drivable beach fast.
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, at 59200 Museum Dr in Hatteras Village beside the ferry docks, is free (donations welcome) and freshly renovated — shipwrecks, WWII U-boat battles, and the life-saving service, told where it all happened. Open days vary seasonally.
The Hatteras–Ocracoke ferry leaves from the village’s south end — free, a bit over an hour each way, no reservations, first come first served. Lines build fast in season; go early, or ride at sunset.
Where to Eat & Stay
Each of the seven villages keeps its own small cluster of restaurants and seafood markets, and lodging is nearly all vacation rentals with a handful of small motels — book ahead in summer. See our full Outer Banks Restaurants guide for the wider area.
Related OBX Guides
See the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and find the best fishing piers. Browse everything in our Things to Do in the Outer Banks guide.
Can you climb the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse?
Not currently — it’s closed for climbing through at least the end of 2026 during a $19.2 million restoration. The grounds and museum stay open, and the scaffolded tower is a rare sight in itself.
Do you need a permit to drive on Hatteras Island beaches?
Yes — a National Park Service ORV permit, $120 annual or $50 for ten days. Cape Hatteras ORV permits are purchased online through Recreation.gov; if you can’t print the proof of permit, self-certification display cards are available at NPS visitor centers and selected local businesses. Seasonal nesting closures and a summer night-driving restriction (9 PM–7 AM, May 1–November 15) also apply.
Is the ferry to Ocracoke free?
Yes — the Hatteras–Ocracoke ferry is free, takes a bit over an hour, and doesn’t take reservations. Arrive early in season.
What are the seven villages of Hatteras Island?
North to south: Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras.
Where do people windsurf and kiteboard?
Canadian Hole, the sound-side day-use area between Avon and Buxton — shallow, steady wind, free parking, and beginner-friendly water.