What Cape Hatteras is known for

The Cape Hatteras Destination is home to multiple cities, towns, and villages, along with the Croatan National Forest. The cape that the Cape Hatteras Destination is named after, is around 50 miles long. At its widest point in Buxton, Hatteras is 3.5 miles wide. The population of Hatteras varies from approximately 3,000 to 4,000 people, with the majority of the people living in Buxton or Frisco. During the summer, the cape gets about 50,000 visitors every week. More than half of Cape Hatteras is comprised of natural terrain.[1] Cape Hatteras has also been given the nickname- Graveyard of the Atlantic.[5]

On Cape Hatteras, there are a variety of activities for people to do, the most commonly known one being the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The lighthouse is the tallest one in the country and is known for its striped, candy-like design. It is often referred to as America's Lighthouse. The lighthouse's beacon rotates every 7 seconds, and it can be seen from up to 20 miles away. The height of the lighthouse is 210 feet, where you must climb 269 steps to get to the top.[4] The lighthouse protects the most hazardous sections of the Atlantic Coast. Hundreds of shipwrecks have taken place near Cape Hatteras, giving the nickname of the Graveyard of the Atlantic. It was because of the abundance of shipwrecks that the lighthouse was built.[5] 

Also on Cape Hatteras are things like the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, beaches, the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, ferries, the Frisco Native American Museum, the Buxton Woods Trail, restaurants, and various water activities.[6] Some water activities include swimming, surfing, jet skiing, paddle boarding, waterskiing, scuba diving, sailing, kayaking, and swim boarding.[10]

Located within the Cape Hatteras Destination is the city of Greenville. Greenville holds various attractions and activities, some of which are the Greenville Museum of Art, Go Science, the Atomic Laser Dome, Captain Jack's Mini Golf, Knee Deep Adventures, Goose Creek State Park, Imagination Station Science Museum, Bear Towne Escape Room, and the Lynwood Park Zoo.[7]

Geography

The Cape Hatteras Destination is located in the southeastern part of North Carolina. The district consists of cities, rivers, the Croatan National Forest, and Cape Hatteras and is relatively flat with an abundance of trees and other greenery. The destination wraps around cities, including Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Rodanthe, Avon, Buxton, Hatteras, Ocracoke, Morehead City, Emerald Isle, Jacksonville, Kinston, and Greenville. The region follows the general shape of the land forming a kind of circle. Cape Hatteras itself is 50 miles long and around 3.5 miles wide at its widest point in Buxton.[1] 

Temperatures in the Cape Hatteras Destination vary throughout the year, with the hottest month in the year usually being August while the coldest month is often February. The average high temperature is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average low temperature is about 44 degrees Fahrenheit. Cape Hatteras receives rain throughout the year, with the highest chance of rainfall in August. The zone has snow on the ground for the month of February but doesn't experience much snow during the rest of the year most of the time. The most popular time to visit Cape Hatteras is in July, though the cape receives tourists throughout the year.[8] 

Plants and animals inhabit the Cape Hatteras Destination. Because of the many water sources within the region, a number of the animals are water animals like fish and dolphins. Land animals within the area include opossums, marsh rabbits, eastern cottontails, coypu, muskrats, white-tailed deer, squirrels, raccoons, North American river otters, minks, coyotes, and horses. Ocean animals that live around Cape Hatteras are humpback whales, common bottlenose dolphins, and Atlantic spotted dolphins. Plants that thrive on Cape Hatteras include American royal ferns, ebony spleenwort, eastern redcedars, loblolly pines, longleaf pines, Japanese black pines, American sickle pods, sensitive peas, white clovers, and black medicks.[9]

History

The Cape Hatteras Destination, which is named after Cape Hatteras, has a variety of cities throughout it. One of these cities is Hatteras. Hatteras is named after the cape. The cape itself was named after the Hatteras Indians. The land was inhabited by Indians for a long stretch of time before explorers reached it.[2] This is because it was dangerous to get to the area. Hundreds of ships were sunk trying to get to the cape, which is why it has the nickname of the Graveyard of the Atlantic.[5] 

The first lighthouse that was built on Cape Hatteras was constructed in 1803. It was later replaced by the current lighthouse in 1870. The current lighthouse stands at 210 feet tall, making it the tallest lighthouse in the United States.[2] 

Over the years, Cape Hatteras has acted as a home for Native Americans, farmers, lighthouse keepers, surfmen, watermen, and many more types of people. The people who have lived in the area have experienced hurricanes, Civil War battles, the construction of lighthouses, shipwrecks, and the supposed death of Blackbeard, the pirate. Though there is not a lot of specific history on Cape Hatteras, the culture of the area lives on through the people, places, and stories on the cape.[3]

Within the Cape Hatteras Destination is the city of Greenville, which was founded in 1771. Its original name was Martinsborough after Josiah Martin, who was the Royal Governor at the time. In 1774 the town was moved to its current location three miles west of its original site. It was renamed after General Nathaneal Greene, who was an American Revolutionary War hero. Originally, when it was renamed in 1786, it was given the name Greenesville. The name was later shortened to Greenville.[11] 

Soon after Greenville was founded, the Tar River became a navigable waterway. Many steamboats transported people across the river. Others transported goods and supplies. Cotton was the main agricultural crop at the time, but as years went on, tobacco surpassed it. Greenville became a tobacco marketing place, and also had warehouse centers.[11] 

A hurricane struck North Carolina in 1999, dropping nearly 17 inches of rain. Many of the people in the area weren't aware of the flooding until it reached their homes. Most of the flooding happened overnight. There were an additional 20 or so inches of rain that had fallen during Hurricane Dennis before Hurricane Floyd happened. Damages during Hurricane Floyd were large, and it has been estimated that the damages in Pitt County alone amounted up to $1.6 billion. Some of the residents in Greenville had to swim six feet underwater to get out of their houses.[11]