Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

Hatteras

[hat-er-uhs]

Hatteras, Cape, promontory on Hatteras Island, a low, sandy, barrier bar between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound, E N.C. Called the Graveyard of the Atlantic, the cape experiences frequent storms that drive ships landward toward its dangerous shallow depths. Cape Hatteras National Seashore (30,319 acres/12,279 hectares; est. 1937), a vast expanse of sand and water, is made up of Hatteras, Bodie, and Ocracoke islands and comprises one of the largest stretches of undeveloped seashore on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (built 1870) was removed in 1936 due to heavy beach erosion. A new lighthouse structure stands farther inland. See National Parks and Monuments, table.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Scenic coastal area situated on Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke islands along the Outer Banks, eastern North Carolina, U.S. The park, the country's first national seashore, was authorized in 1937 and established in 1953. It has a total area of 47 sq mi (122 sq km). It includes the tallest (208 ft [63 m]) masonry lighthouse in the country, located at Cape Hatteras.

Learn more about Cape Hatteras National Seashore with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Hatteras, North Carolina

Hatteras is an unincorporated community in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, on the Outer Banks island of Hatteras. North Carolina Highway 12 passes through the community linking it to Frisco and Ocracoke (via a ferry in Hatteras). It is south of the famous Cape Hatteras and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton. The inlet that the ferries use is Hatteras Inlet.

Attractions and recreation

Hatteras is best known as a fishing and vacation destination. This community offers visitors ample opportunities for recreation, sightseeing, and remote relaxation especially on its beautiful beaches.

Watersports are plentiful on both the ocean-side and the sound-side of the village. Proximity to the convergence of the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream result in the largest surf available on the East Coast. On the protected Pamlico Sound side of the island watersports such as windsurfing, kayaking, kiteboarding, and swimming are all readily available and accessible.

Fishing is a major source of recreation as well as revenue in Hatteras. Many boats use Hatteras Inlet, Hatteras Marina, and Oden Docks as ports for their fishing businesses. In fact, the Pamlico Sound, which separates Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, is one of the largest estuarine systems in the world and offers an almost limitless variety of fishing opportunities.

Recent history

Hatteras Island was cut in half on September 18, 2003, when Hurricane Isabel washed a 3000 feet (900 m) wide and 30 feet (9 m) deep channel called Isabel Inlet through the community of Hatteras Village on the southern end of the island. The tear was subsequently repaired and restored by sand dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers.