If you're looking for things to do in Hatteras, the Hatteras attractions will lure you off the beach and into various places around the island to learn about history and the natural world. You can climb a lighthouse, tour several historic sites, explore Native American heritage, drive a scenic byway, watch fish being unloaded at the docks and so much more. Most Hatteras Island attractions are seasonal, so if you’re visiting in the off-season, be sure to call ahead to make sure they’re open.
Featured for Your Visit
8770 Oregon Inlet Road, off N.C. Highway 12, Nags Head
It's all about making fishing memories at this legendary Outer Banks marina. A fleet of 48 boats offers a variety of fishing excursions at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center year round (weather permitting). Nearshore, inshore vessels offer half-day or full-day trips, while the headboat offers a choice of morning or afternoon inlet/sound fishing. Offshore vessels travel to the Gulf Stream, where anglers enjoy a full day on the water. Make-up charters are available if you don't have a full party. Anglers go for a variety of species, depending on the season, including billfish, tuna, mahi mahi, wahoo, Spanish mackerel, flounder, drum, bluefish, cobia and more. Anglers aboard charters do not need to purchase fishing licenses, and all tackle and bait are provided. The newest boat at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center is The Safari, a dolphin watching inlet/sound tour offering cruises daily! Even if you're not fishing or going out on the water, watching the boats come in with their catches is fine entertainment. Come to the docks between 3 and 5 p.m. and you'll see the day's catches being unloaded. Be sure to check out the world-record blue marlin replica mount (caught in 1974) displayed in an outdoor case, and take a photo of your group in front of a record-setting 805-pound bluefin tuna replica mount caught in 2011.
You can fuel up your boat here and also purchase food and drinks for your trip at the recently renovated and freshly updated on-site marina store, which carries a wide selection of fishing and boating gear, hardware, sunglasses, apparel and footwear, souvenirs and camping supplies. Check out their online store too. An air pump for inflating your tires, a public boat ramp (courtesy of National Park Service), clean restrooms and ample parking are also available. The boat ramp offers five launching lanes, courtesy docks and about 75 parking spaces for vehicles with trailers. You'll find it 8 miles south of Whalebone Junction in Nags Head.
It's all about making fishing memories at this legendary Outer Banks marina. A fleet of 48 boats offers a variety of fishing excursions at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center year round (weather permitting). Nearshore, inshore vessels offer half-day or full-day trips, while the headboat offers a choice of morning or afternoon inlet/sound fishing. Offshore vessels travel to the Gulf Stream, where anglers enjoy a full day on...read more
It's all about making fishing memories at this legendary Outer Banks marina. A fleet of...read more
Attractions in Hatteras
The refuge’s visitor center, located on the northern end of Hatteras Island about 4 miles south of Oregon Inlet, is a good place to start a Pea Island visit. It gives an introduction to the ecosystems and wildlife of the refuge and the activities that are permissible there. You may also pick up informational brochures and trail maps. Restrooms and parking are available. You may...read more
Attractions in Hatteras
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, weather observations gathered near Cape Hatteras were important for forecasters all along the East Coast. The Hatteras Island weather station was so critical that in 1901 the U.S. Weather Bureau constructed a dedicated Weather Bureau building in Hatteras village, one of only 11 such buildings constructed in the nation at the turn of the century. The building...read more
Attractions in Hatteras
For a chance to see the offshore boats unloading the day’s deep-sea catches, head down to one of the Hatteras Village marinas between 3:30 and 5 p.m. When the boats come in, the fishing mates unload the day’s catches onto the docks so the fish can be taken away and cleaned. Most days you’ll see something, usually yellow-fin tuna, mahi mahi and wahoo or some...read more