Buxton sits at the “elbow” of Hatteras Island where the Island takes a Westward turn. It’s here that established maritime forests and a slightly higher elevation – around 10 feet above sea level – make for one of the more protected places on the island and Buxton finds itself slightly more protected than some neighboring villages. Near the point of the elbow the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse stands nearly 200’ tall, protecting passing ships from Diamond Shoals, a series of underwater sandbars that helped earn this part of the coast the name “The Graveyard of the Atlantic” as hundreds of ships have wrecked here and nearby over the centuries.

 

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the focal point of Buxton and more than a million visitors come here each year to see and climb the lighthouse. A pair of National Parks Service campgrounds – one just a short drive from the Lighthouse and situated near the Cape point; the second is near Frisco and accessible via the “Inside Road,” a 4x4 road connecting the campgrounds – give overnight visitors the option to stay in the shadow of the lighthouse.

 

Day visitors to the Lighthouse come to visit the museum, admire the lighthouse, and climb to the top, but some day visitors keep their focus on the water and they come to surf and to fish. Surfers tend to congregate around Cape Point, the true westward turn of Hatteras Island. There they can catch waves as they break on East- or South-facing beaches. Anglers dot the shoreline with their tall surfcasting rods. Some walk on or pull beach trolleys from parking areas or even the campgrounds, but most take advantage of ORV (off road vehicle) ramps and drive out onto the sand for an added adventure.