2014-04 Camp Hatteras, Rodanthe/Outer Banks, North Carolina

The barrier islands known as the Outer Banks are surrounded by stunning natural beauty. We had planned to stay 5 nights at Camp Hatteras enjoying another fantastic deal through Coast to Coast at $10/nt. We extended our stay by one night due to a bad rain storm coming through, but still had to drive in heavy winds...it may be difficult to find a day without wind here. In fact, there were dozens of kite-boarders flying high, all day every day, in the Pamlico Sound right beside the campground. Mother Nature is constantly working at moving the Outer Banks sands ever westward towards the mainland and though people may try to slow it down, the sand and wind ultimately will be victorious.

This area has been hit by severe storms over the past few years, including Hurricane Irene in August 2011, which did extensive damage in our campground (they have a photo album in the office bearing evidence of torn away boardwalks, park models blown off foundations and torn to pieces, debris everywhere). Irene also created a new inlet just south of Pea Island NWR which still has the "temporary bridge" in place. Here is a link to some interesting before and after aerial photos: Irene aerial photos. The area was also hit by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. Some businesses still sit destroyed and vacant, and many are still working to rebuild. It must be the jaw-dropping beauty of the place that keeps people here!

Camp Hatteras has camp sites both on the Atlantic / beach side, and on the Pamlico Sound, so we could watch sunrise over the Atlantic and sunset over the sound! The park is all grassy with concrete pads, and is quite expensive during their summer high season. We enjoyed their indoor pool / hot tub (outside pool not yet open) and the miniature golf, and of course, the beach and sound. The office staff was very friendly and helpful, making this a pleasant place to stay!

Our spot in this huge park which was nearly empty in April

View up the beach to the Rodanthe Pier

Entrance to the ocean/beach side of the park

view up the coast from the sound side of the park

sunset on Pamlico Sound, looking towards the mainland

sunset through sea oats

sunrise on the beach

up early for the sunrise

sunrise on the Atlantic

Just a half mile north is the Rodanthe Pier which, like many piers on the east coast, is privately owned and there is a fee to walk on the pier or fish from it. Camp Hatteras gave us free passes to walk the pier, so off we went!

This was positively the most crooked and rickety pier I have ever been on. I think we could feel it lean with the waves. Granted, it has taken a beating over the past several years, as in the aforementioned storms, but has been retrofitted and is safe, or so we think...otherwise, how could they let all these people go out on it? Lots of people fishing, and we also watched a large school of dolphins fishing around the end of the pier for a while.

walking to the Rodanthe Pier

A crooked profile

note the crooked outline

the walking surface is "lumpy" - up and down

view from the pier looking northward

dolphins!

Cape Hatteras KOA was right next door to Camp Hatteras; they were about to celebrate their Grand Re-Opening with lots of new and improved amenities. Looked like a very nice park - may be back here some day!

Cape Hatteras KOA from the beach boardwalk

Looking southward down the beach from the KOA

Sandpiper

Godwit resting in the sand

Not too far away, on the north end of Hatteras Island, is Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. With 30,000 acres of very diverse habitat and 13 miles of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, it provides sanctuary for hundreds of species of migrating birds. They had a more extensive visitor center than I expected, plus nature trails, boardwalks and viewing platforms for birding / wildlife watching. And then there's the miles and miles of undeveloped beachfront.

Yes, Charles Kuralt was here!

One of several viewing platforms

view over the wetlands towards Pamlico Sound

We both made very good use of the pool and hot tub!

I walked and walked on these beautiful beaches...definitely uses different muscles walking on sand than all the walking I did in the keys (on asphault). I regularly did a 6-7 mile walk in the keys and never had soreness. Three miles on sand, and my calves were so tight and sore! Had to go walk some more to work out the aches...that, along with a morning and evening soak in the hot tub. What a special treat - really missed having a hot tub there in the keys!

Our last night at Camp Hatteras brought a big wind and rain storm. Quite a bit of the beach was washed away and the roads covered in sand. On our drive north on NC12, there was heavy equipment every 100 yards for miles, working to remove sand from the road and push the sand dunes back towards the Atlantic...