How to Enjoy Cape Hatteras National Seashore With the Kids

The windswept islands of Cape Hatteras National Seashore are natural places for kids to explore sand dunes, beaches and woodlands. Rich in history, the park offers educational information about lighthouses, shipwrecks and early inhabitants of North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Comfortable Shoes
• Sporty Hats
• Swimming Trunks
• Swimsuits
• Maps
• Insect Repellents
• Sunscreen
• National Park Passes
• Bicycle Helmets
• Children's Bicycle Helmets
• Fishing Gear
• Children's Bicycles

1. See "Enjoy Cape Hatteras National Seashore," under Related eHows, for general information about the park and a list of available activities. Many of these are appropriate for kids as well as adults.
2. Tour the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and learn about the history of lighthouses on the eastern seaboard. Also join in summer interpretive programs at the park. Pick up the "In the Park" newspaper at the visitor center for a current schedule of events.
3. Take kids to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. The fishing fleet hauls in each day's catch here, which is great fun for kids to watch. Fishing or swimming are other possible water-based activities.
4. Go to the excellent North Carolina Aquarium (see ncaquariums.com) on Roanoke Island. The recently expanded facility includes hands-on exhibits as well as a "Graveyard of the Atlantic" tank with a replica of the sunken "USS Monitor" at the bottom.
5. Visit the Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo. Kids will love climbing on a replica of the "Elizabeth II," a 16th-century sailing ship, as well as taking in all the interpretive and interactive exhibits. Parents will enjoy the summer chamber music series.
6. See "The Lost Colony," the longest-running outdoor drama in the United States. What happened to the country's first colony and to Virginia Dare, the first child born of English parents in America? Shows run from mid-June to late August and are great family entertainment.
7. Visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. A full-scale replica of the Wright brothers' plane is at the visitor center, and you can hike to the spot where the famous flight took place. A 100th anniversary celebration is scheduled for 2003.
8. Have fun. Even though the area is rich in historical sites, give kids time to explore the dunes, walk the beaches, go swimming and enjoy themselves.

Tips & Warnings

• Mosquitoes are thick in the park during the warm summer months. Make sure both you and the kids are well-protected with repellent.
• There are 268 stairs on the spiral staircase to the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, so be sure your kids are up to the climb before setting out. Toting a little one up the stairs may also be a strain on you.
• To protect their feet, be sure kids wear shoes when walking on the dunes, on the beach or in campgrounds.
• Children should swim only where a lifeguard is on duty. There are swift currents, and strong winds may quickly blow rafts or other floating devices out to sea.
• While kids can bike on the roads, they should wear a helmet at all times and be extremely careful. There are no bike trails inside the park.