Old Lighthouse Beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Bodie Island to Cape Point Atlantic Ocean Beaches
One of the more popular beaches at Cape Hatteras National Seashore is Old Lighthouse Beach near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse at the very southern end of the island near Cape Point. The beach is facing the open Atlantic Ocean and is on the cusp of the Labrador Current, thus the waves are bigger and the water colder than the beaches just to the west of Cape Point. For this reason, Old Lighthouse Beach is a favorite of the surfers. Lifeguards are on duty on a section of the beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Old Lighthouse Beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
From the Cape Hatteras Island Visitor Center, if you head back to NC-12, take a right and then another right on Old Lighthouse Road and you will come to a large parking area with lots on either side of the road. The parking lot to the right is closest to the lifeguarded beach (and the lighthouse). Follow the path next to the bathhouse. The walk is about 200 yards.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Area (click to enlarge)
The beach near the parking lot on the left seems to attract the surfers and the younger crowd, but there are plenty of families there as well. It is also closer to the parking area, approximately a 75 yard walk.
Surfers at Old Lighthouse Beach in Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Crowds at the popular Old Lighthouse Beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
There is a sea wall that the surfers use to work their way out to the waves. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse used to stand about 50 yards from this spot before it was moved to its new location in 1999.
Seawall at Old Lighthouse Beach near to where the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse use to stand, Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Surfers at Old Lighthouse Beach using the sea wall to help get out to the waves, Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Waves crash over the sea wall at Old Lighthouse Beach as a surfer tries to catch a wave, Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Of course you don’t have to park in any one lot to get to a particular section of the beach, for you can walk from one section to the other in about 5 minutes.
Walking along Old Lighthouse Beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
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Last updated on March 7, 2024
