Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Welcome Sign, NC 12, June 2007

Cape Hatteras National Seashore
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Location	Outer Banks, Dare County & Hyde County, North Carolina, USA
Nearest city	Nags Head, North CarolinaNearest city: Nags Head, North Carolina
Coordinates	35°18′13″N 75°30′41″W / 35.30361°N 75.51139°W / 35.30361; -75.51139Coordinates: 35°18′13″N 75°30′41″W / 35.30361°N 75.51139°W / 35.30361; -75.51139
Area	30,319.43 acres (122.6984 km2)
Established	January 12, 1953 Established: January 12, 1953
Visitors	2,260,628 (in 2005)
Governing body	National Park Service

Cape Hatteras National Seashore preserves the portion of the Outer Banks of North Carolina from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island, stretching over 70 miles (110 km). Included within this section of barrier islands along N.C. 12, but outside the National Seashore boundaries, are Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and several communities, such as Rodanthe, Buxton, and Ocracoke.

Once dubbed the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for its treacherous currents, shoals, and storms, Cape Hatteras has a wealth of history relating to shipwrecks, lighthouses, and the US Lifesaving Service. The islands also provide a variety of habitats and are a valuable wintering area for migrating waterfowl. The park's fishing and surfing are considered the best on the East Coast.

See also

• Cape Hatteras Light
• Bodie Island Light
• Ocracoke Light
• Ocracoke Island

Administrative history

The National Seashore was authorized on August 11, 1937, and established on January 12, 1953. Cape Hatteras National Seashore is co-managed with two other Outer Banks parks, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and is headquartered at Fort Raleigh.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, prior to its move in 1999

References

• Cameron Binkley, The Creation and Establishment of Cape Hatteras National Seashore: The Great Depression through Mission 66. Atlanta: U.S. Department of the Interior, 2007.

• The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links

• Official NPS website: Cape Hatteras National Seashore
• Little Kinnakeet Lifesaving Station: Home to Unsung Heroes, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
• Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
• Outer Banks Preservation Association
• Cape Hatteras Access Preservation Alliance