Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Fees, Hours, Camping and How to Get There

TypeNational Seashore

StateNorth Carolina

Entrance feeNo entrance fee

Campgrounds4

Nearest national parkShenandoah (262 mi)

Closest airportEWN (82 mi)

A beach landscape with the black and white spiraled lighthouse in the background — Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Photo: NPS Photo

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a national seashore run by the National Park Service in North Carolina.

In the park service’s words

The sound of ocean waves, the starry night sky, or the calm of the salt marshes, you can experience it all. Shaped by the forces of water, wind, and storms these islands are ever changing. The plants, wildlife, and people who live here adapt continually. Whether you are enjoying the beach, kayaking the sound, or climbing the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse there is something for everyone to explore!

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Fees and hours

Entrance fee: No entrance fee.

Hours: Open 24 hours, every day. The grounds of Cape Hatteras National Seashore are always open for visitors, though there are resource closures that seasonally affect different parts of the beach.

Camping

Campground	Sites	Booking	From	RVs	Amenities
Cape Point Campground	202	Reservable	$20	Yes, up to 40 ft	dump station, showers, water, cell signal
Ocracoke Campground	135	Reservable	$28	Yes, up to 40 ft	dump station, showers, water, cell signal
Frisco Campground	117	Reservable	$28	Yes, up to 40 ft	showers, water, cell signal
Oregon Inlet Campground	107	Reservable	$28	Yes, up to 40 ft	hookups, dump station, showers, water, cell signal

Getting there

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is located along NC-12 in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. You can reach the seashore from the north by following US 158 to Nag Heads, NC and the turn-off to NC-12 and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. From the south, you can take NCDOT ferries from Swanquarter, NC and Cedar Island, NC to the village of Ocracoke on Ocracoke Island. The provided physical address is the location of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, roughly in the middle of the park.

Airport	City	Drive to the park	Straight-line miles	Type
Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN)	New Bern, NC	No road route	82	Regional
Pitt-Greenville Airport (PGV)	Greenville, NC	No road route	99	Regional
Norfolk International Airport (ORF)	Norfolk, VA	No road route	107	Large hub

Drive times run from the airport to Zion Canyon Visitor Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.

Miles are straight-line distances.

Visitor centers

[Bodie Island Visitor Center](): Daily, 9:00AM - 5:00PM. The hours of operation for the Bodie Island Visitor Center.
Ocracoke Island Discovery Center: Mon 9:00AM - 5:00PM; Tue 9:00AM - 5:00PM; Wed 9:00AM - 5:00PM; Thu 9:00AM - 5:00PM; Fri 1:00PM - 5:00PM; Sat 9:00AM - 5:00PM; Sun 9:00AM - 5:00PM. The Ocracoke Island Discovery Center is open daily from mid-April - October. The Discovery Center is closed each day from 12:30pm-1:30pm.
Museum of the Sea: Daily, 9:00AM - 5:00PM. The hours of operation for the Hatteras Island Museum of the Sea.
Whalebone Junction Information Center: Daily, 8:30AM - 5:00PM. Open daily, except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Hatteras Island Weather Bureau Station: Daily, 9:00AM - 4:00PM. Hours of operation for the Hatteras Weather Bureau Station.

Weather

The weather along the Outer Banks varies throughout the year and even throughout the day. Please check the National Weather Service information at http://www.weather.gov/mhx/ for forecast information.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Know before you go

Drones are banned at almost every park site, and you may not take rocks, plants or artifacts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet where they are allowed. Bring no firewood from home.