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Cape Hatteras National SeashoreMany seashells
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Park Statistics

Visitation

There are several reporting systems and studies that document visitation statistics at Cape Hatteras National Seashore:

Acreage

Cape Hatteras National Seashore encompasses 24,470 acres. Nearby Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, within the authorized Seashore boundary, is 5,880 acres.

Designations

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is our nation's first national seashore.

Establishment

Cape Hatteras National Seashore was authorized by Congress on August 17, 1937 and established on January 12, 1953.

Ocracoke Inlet was one of the most heavily traveled inlets in the 1700s.  

Did You Know?
In the 1700s, Ocracoke Inlet was one of the busiest inlets in the East. It was one of the few navigable waterways for ships accessing inland ports such as Elizabeth City, Edenton or New Bern. It was here that Blackbeard the Pirate found the inlet's heavy shipping traffic ripe for easy pickings.

Last Updated: November 23, 2007 at 11:42 EST