Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
Cape Hatteras National Seashore was the first National Seashore designated and managed by the National Park Service in 1953. Now there are 10 National Seashores all of which have been set apart to protect their rich and diverse environmental and cultural resources. It is easy to presume that the Hatteras National Seashore just refers to the area around the lighthouse. However, the National Seashore actually encompasses over 70 miles of shoreline including Bodie, Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. Both Hikes 38 & 39 include portions of the Mountains to Sea Trail within the Hatteras National Seashore.
Hike #38 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to Frisco Campground
Distance: 5.7 miles one-way
Difficulty: Moderate
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is a historical icon not just for North Carolina, but it is also recognized worldwide. The lighthouse is the tallest in America and has a captivating history. Starting with the original request by then Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton in 1794 -he believed that lighthouses were beneficial for profitable trading, but it is also believed that he had a special interest in the creation of a Cape Hatteras Lighthouse due to his near shipwreck off the coast. In 1999 the lighthouse had to be moved back from the beach to avoid the encroaching surf. This was an astounding engineering marvel and you can read more about that here.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is such a North Carolina landmark that many believe that the Mountains to Sea Trail ends at Cape Hatteras. However, the MST does not end until another 56 miles at Jockey’s Ridge.
The 40 Hike Challenge guidebook lists the trailheads for Hike 38 in reverse order. You can obviously hike it in either direction, but we opted to hike east from the parking area – just outside of Frisco Campground and end at the infamous lighthouse and visitor’s center.
For the first 1/2 mile the MST follows a paved road through the campground. It was closed during this time of year so the place felt like a ghost town. Hiking in this area in January was very pleasant. Even though the temperature was in the low 40’s and the wind was steady at 10 – 15 mph, there were no bugs!
Shortly after leaving the campground the trail goes from a gravel road to a loose sandy path. There is also a section here where it joins an equestrian trail. I was surprised with some of the small hills that you had to climb. They were not substantially long, but in the loose deep sand they could be a moderate challenge.
The trail travels through Buxton Woods which is made up of a mature maritime forest with may different shrubs, grasses, oaks and loblolly pines. For the majority of the hike, we were in a canopy of the forest and shielded from the wind. It was difficult to believe that we were actually this close to a sandy seashore.
Shortly before reaching the end of the hike, we passed the Buxton British Cemetery. It honors two foreign sailors that lost their lives to German U-boats patrolling the shores off North Carolina during World War II. The German U-boat sunk over 70 vessels off the Outer Banks. Each year a ceremony is performed to honor those that lost their lives in these attacks.
Overall, this was a very pleasant hike. It was gratifying to end at the iconic lighthouse and to get to explore the nearby grounds. The Visitor’s Center was open and we were glad to collect another National Park Passport stamp!
The trip was most memorable because I got to share it with my daughter and son-in-law, Reagan and Grayson and my son Noah. We were hungry but pleased with our progress and anxious to move on to Hike 39.
Hike #39 Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge to Marc Basnight Bridge
Distance: 5.4 miles one-way
Difficulty: Moderate
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge looks like a narrow strip on the north end of Hatteras Island. It was established in 1938 to provide protection for many of the migratory waterfowl and endangered species. It includes over 5800 acres of land and almost 26,000 acres of boundary waters. Among the list of species identified in the area are over 365 birds.
The start of Hike 39 is at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center off Hwy 12. It is only about 33 miles from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This was the second hike for the day, having stopped for a brief lunch after Hike 38. This was a good example of how quickly the weather can change on the coast and why it is always good to be prepared.
At this point the temperatures had dropped into the low 30’s with a constant wind of at least 20mph. The hike starts at the Wildlife Center parking and heads west to circle around what is called the North Pond. Except for the brief patch shown above, there is no cover or windbreaks for the remaining hike. Again, even though it was colder, hiking in January had it’s benefits – no bugs!
The North Pond is about 400 acres with an artificial impoundment area. As we trekked through the grass trail, we saw many waterfowl that were migrating through the Refuge.
It is a 2.5 mile circle around the North Pond before the MST returns to the beach. The trail is easily visible, but during the warmer months I would recommend being very aware of your surroundings in the high grass.
At 2.5 miles in, we crossed Hwy 12 and hit the beach. The surf was pounding and a headwind was pushing us back. We had 3 miles of beach walking ahead of us. I had read that you need to make sure you hit the beach at low tide, due to the short width. We were there about 1 hr after low tide, and I can see if you pushed this too close, you would be forced to walk on the road.
The beach was deserted. I have read many accounts of MST hikers that have warned to not underestimate the beach walking. I agree! As I was struggling through the loose sand and against the wind, I thought back to just a few weeks previously when we were hiking in the Linville Gorge – heading back up Chimney Gap and just feeling the pain of the climb – all I could think about is how much nicer it would be to be on the beach. Beach walking is not the same, but it is not easy and it isn’t to be taken lightly.
Hike 39 concludes just south of the Marc Basnight Bridge and the Oregon Inlet. Just after leaving the beach, the MST passes the Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station. Built in 1898, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently it is empty and not occupied. Through the years it has faced battles with erosion and vandalism. The history of the Life Saving Stations and the Coast Guard on the Outer Banks can be found here.
Seeing the Life Saving Station ahead on the beach and knowing that Hike 39 would soon be complete, I was exhausted but also in a state of amazement. It was less than 10 months previously that I came across the 40 Hike Challenge and walking on the beach was a distant dream.
The next day would be the completion at Jockey’s Ridge!
A complete list of the 40 Hikes and their Blog Posts can be found here
40 Hike Challenge Blue Ridge Parkway Conserving Carolina Falls Lake Hickory Nut Gorge Hiking Lake Lure Linville Gorge Mountains to Sea Mount Mitchell North Carolina Trails