Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Cape Hatteras Section

The Cape Hatteras part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail’s Outer Banks segment is a roughly 72-mile, one-way route from the Ocracoke Ferry Terminal to the north edge of the national seashore at Nags Head. The 72 walking miles are separate from a required ferry crossing from Ocracoke to Hatteras. The longer named segment continues north to Jockey’s Ridge State Park; this record ends at the seashore boundary. Plan for a through-hike and a separate pickup at the far end—there’s no loop back to Ocracoke.

Most of the walking is on loose, shifting beach sand. The terrain is almost level, but the surface makes the mileage tiring, and the view changes slowly over long beach stretches. In Buxton Woods, the route leaves the open coast for the sandy Open Ponds Trail, crossing dunes, shrub thickets and maritime forest between the British Cemetery area and Frisco Campground. That’s the best change of pace on the route. North of Buxton, the trail passes through Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge before reaching Nags Head; its low dunes and beach grass are a good place to stop for a photo. Winter brings waterfowl to the refuge. White-circle blazes are sparse on beach stretches and can disappear in storms, so check the route where it shifts between sand, roads and the forest trail. The Outer Banks’ “Graveyard of the Atlantic” nickname comes from the area’s severe weather and meeting ocean currents; this route keeps you close to that exposed coast for days.

Start at Ocracoke Ferry Terminal and follow the route north. The Ocracoke–Hatteras ferry takes about an hour and is part of this park section; the other ferry in Segment 18 is outside this record’s start. The National Park Service requires overnight hikers to use designated campgrounds; camping on the beach is not allowed. Roadway and bridge crossings need care. Dogs can join on leash: no longer than six feet in the seashore and ten feet maximum in Pea Island Refuge. At Pea Island, pets are not allowed west of NC 12 except in and beside parking areas, not on trails. Dogs are also prohibited in resource closures.