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Cape Hatteras National Seashore Pamlico Sound and marsh grass
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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.

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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.

Last Updated: October 14, 2008 at 14:47 MST