cape hatteras national seashore

We travelled through the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on this narrow road for miles. The unspoiled natural surroundings were a very pleasant trip. Got to see many migratory birds, in places they covered the waterways.

Why do people say you can't pull off and go to the beach anywhere? Let me let them in on a trick. Keep one side of your cars tires firmly on the pavement. You can pull off anywhere that you don't see no parking signs. I can think of maybe a mile of combined road in 60 miles that you can't park. Pull over and park. Have a beach to yourself most times of the year. Not too much going on down in hatteras in terms of business (it's getting better) but go to chill out. Don't drive on sat or Sunday between 8am-9pm june-august...

Some places becoming too developed but at least there are still some lovely refuges to go to without any houses. But they do let people drive on the beach. Which takes away from a nice stroll with mother nature. I was there in the winter and it was very quiet. Not many people at all but it was also very cold during my time. Lighthouse is closed during the winter but area around it is open.

Open beach with sand dunes and sea oats, miles of it. Great experience of untouched shoreline, if you love the ocean and beach it is a much needed experience.

For those who want sun,sand, the best of a natural experience, this is the place! It has all the best of the Caroline beach experience for those who don't need the boardwalk and shopping. Not to worry though, there are plenty of local shops providing everything from fabulous fresh caught seafood to all the toys and accessories needed for the complete seaside vacation.There is no shortage of rentals of all sizes and types. Day trips abound along the Outer Banks as well.We had a 3 story beach house with a gourmet kitchen, game room with wet bar, and pool table.It had 8 bedrooms with 8 bathrooms and an elevator for hauling the luggage. There was also a swimming pool with out door shower. There are so many facilities like this, all one has to do is Google and no problem finding one. Off the main suite, on the third floor, was a super large living room adjacent to the gourmet kitchen.As for the beach experience I am attaching pictures to tell that story. This is a highly recommended destination on our list and we will be going back!

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a treasure. We who live here are the luckiest folks alive. The scenery (beaches, sunsets, sky) are simply amazing. Fresh air, fresh fish and good people. It is not just a vacation destination....it is a lifestyle!

Peace and tranquility of deserted beaches, NC at its best!!!!Well here I am in the Outer Banks on Business, bit of a slow day so decided to take in some quiet time.What better then a deserted NC beach, As I have an off road vehicle what better then a beach drive.The beaches are pristine and very peaceful. as you can see by the pictures very quiet indeed.A couple of pieces of advice though as my one of my skill set entails re nourishing beaches you will have a few things to remember.First get a permit to drive on the beach. remember what beach entrance you are accessing, they are numbered.The sand on the NC beaches are very soft, do not try and drive with a 2 wheel drive vehicle as you will only make the cars length if you are lucky. If you have 4x4 or all wheel drive that's fine but remember to lower your tire pressures to around 20psi. BUT remember to also have a tire inflator as the nearest gas station with air is in Nags Head. Also remember to stop and switch off your engine and phone and any other noisemaking machine and take in the beautiful sounds of nature at its best.

If you're only going for the drive you won't be able to see that much because of the dunes. However, if you're planning on parking and walking the beach line you won't be disappointed. We went on a Wednesday morning and didn't encounter too many people. It was amazingly quiet and very enjoyable.

Miles of undeveloped shoreline is a site everyone should behold. Precious resource for the nation. Spectacular shelling. Choose one of the drive over spots, park your car and take a long walk or have a picnice. Unforgettable experience.

It is my second visit to Cape Hatteras and I find it unique.You travel for miles in sand dunes between the sea and the sound.My only regret is the number of new constructions sine last time but the detour still worth it.

I drove to Hatteras to see The Graveyard of the Atlantic. Some reviews complain of the dunes and not being able to see the beaches, That's a no-brainer. If it weren't for the dunes there would be no road. The road would be the beach with lots of rain. There are plenty of pull offs for parking or you can drive some of it with a four wheel drive. All the pull offs are close to the water. I stopped and walked on the beach. I'm going back one day after winter. No one was on the beach and it was amazing to see being there alone.

Friends and I traveled to Hatteras National Seashore in July and we were enthralled. Life guards, beautiful water, sea shells galore. Much of the beach is untouched except by nature.

Every time we visit the Outer Banks we always walk the National Seashore and bring home a bag of shells. If you can't find any on the other beaches.... it's worth the travel and effort. We always come home with a variety of shells. Never empty handed.

We are in the midst of a relaxing fun trip to the outer banks much of which is protected and preserved as a national seashore. The beaches are wide at low tide and beautiful on the Atlantic side. On the end toward Hatteras this time of year you can have a large section of beach to yourself. And there are sand dunes all along the beaches which is integral to the geology of this moving sandbar. So don't expect uninterrupted ocean views while driving. We visited the Hatteras lighthouse and had an informative ranger talk about storms and the outer banks. There is a full schedule of ranger led events including how to fish or crab. Expect wind here along the beaches and the bay..The bay is calmer for fishing or crabbing or children swimming. Wind surfing and sailing seem popular. There are restuarants and limited shops. There is a big Food Lion south of Avon. There are plenty of chances to park your car and walk the beach or visit the bay. When the sun is out this is heaven for people who love walking beaches. We have our dog and the national seashore permits dogs outside on 6 foot leash. Lots of dog visitors here. Lots of watersport and fishing opportunities as well as bike riding. There is a string of historic lighthouses to visit. The history ranges from Blackbeard the pirate to the Wright Brothers to U2 boats in World War. The season winds down mid October so some commercial places close down. The seafood place where we bought fresh locally caught tuna to cook for our dinner will close for the season soon. Prices for rentals plunge in September so a late outer banks vacation can save money too. We look forward to taking the free ferry and exploring more. There are restrooms and showers at designated areas along the route.

After a quick stop at Duck Donuts we headed straight down for the ferry over to Ocracoke Island. We had great timing both ways and didn't have much of a wait for ferries. The trip took around 45 minutes each way, but the weather was nice, so it was fun being out there and it was free. We only spent 2 hours exploring Ocracoke Island, including seeing the Ocracoke Island Visitor Center, a quick stop at the lighthouse and then a walk in the surf at one of the beach pull-offs. You could definitely spend more time there. We headed back to Hatteras Island to explore Cape Hatteras Lighthouse & visitor center. This was a really nice stop, even though we weren't adventurous enough to climb 269 steps to the top. Not far after leaving the parking lot, we noticed a turnoff for the old lighthouse, so we decided to stop there real quick. Looks like it's a popular surfing spot now. We watched some of the surfers for awhile and snapped a couple of photos of the old lighthouse marker with the lighthouse in the background. Definitely an interesting and worthwhile stop. Driving along Hatteras Island there was water over the road in one spot, I'm guessing it was due to high tide. Not sure how much a problem this is, but it looks they are doing some road work to fix the situation. After a stop at Pea-Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, we headed for our last stop, the Bodie Island Lighthouse. Once again we didn't climb to the top, but we did walk along the boardwalk to the marsh area. Once again this was a nice stop. I really enjoyed seeing the 3 lighthouses. Each have their own character. We ended up spending the whole day (from 8am-5pm) on this adventure, including 1 hour at Pea-Ridge. You could really shorten it up by not going to Ocracoke Island, but that trip was worth it to me.