The Cape Hatteras National Seashore stretches 72 miles along Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke islands, protecting some of the most undisturbed barrier island coastline on the American East Coast. There are no chain hotels within the park boundary, no boardwalk amusements — just open beach, wind-sculpted dunes, sound-side marshes, and miles of surf.
The beaches are excellent for swimming in summer (there are lifeguarded sections) and world-class for fishing year-round. The surf along the seashore is consistent enough to support a real surfing and kiteboarding culture. Off-road vehicles are permitted on stretches of beach with a permit, a tradition going back decades. In spring and autumn the park becomes a migration corridor: shorebirds, warblers, and raptors move through in extraordinary numbers.