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Making America's Best Idea Even Better
Cape Hatteras National Seashoreoff-road vehicles at Cape Point
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Hatteras National Seashore Enabling Legislation

Except for certain portions of the area, deemed to be especially adaptable for recreational uses, particularly swimming, boating, sailing, fishing, and other recreational activities of similar nature, which shall be developed for such uses as needed, the said area shall be permanently reserved as a primitive wilderness and no development of the project or plan for the convenience of visitors shall be undertaken which would be incompatible with the preservation of the unique flora and fauna or the physiographic conditions now prevailing in this area . . .

(Aug. 17, 1937, ch. 687, Sec. 4, 50 Stat. 670; June 29, 1940, ch. 459, Sec. 1, 54 Stat. 702; Mar. 6, 1946, ch. 50, 60 Stat. 32.)

 
556x238 solitary beach
Seasparkle, a tiny dinoflagellate that can be seen glowing in the surfline at night.  

Did You Know?
The beaches along Cape Hatteras National Seashore sparkle at night. When you kick the sand, you disturb tiny dinoflagellates like seasparkle, magnified in the picture to the left. A chemical reaction causes them to glow with a blue-green light.

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Last Updated: July 29, 2006 at 20:03 EST