Diamond Shoals is a shifting complex of submerged sandbars located from shore up to ten miles off the coast of Hatteras Island. The shoals were formed and are constantly shifted by the interaction of the southerly flowing Labrador Current and the northern flowing Gulf Stream. It has been a hazard to mariners for centuries and has led to the area being called the "Graveyard of the Atlantic". In an attempt to warn sailors and protect shipping, the US Congress in 1791 appropriated funds for a lighthouse to be constructed on Hatteras Island. The lighthouse was completed in 1803 with 18 lights at an elevation of 112 feet. The lighting apparatus was destroyed in 1862 during the Civil War. Realizing the limited practicality of the original station, Congress appropriated funding in 1868 to build a new lighthouse further inland. The new lighthouse was first lit on December 16,1871 and was the tallest brick lighthouse in the world at the time at 187 feet with a light at 192 feet above sea level.
The Atlantic Ocean has been shifting Hatteras Island to the west for thousands of years. Although initially built 1500 feet from the beach, by the 1936 the US Coast Guard abandoned the lighthouse to the sea and built a steel tower in Buxton to house the light. When the Cape Hatteras National Seashore was established in 1937, the National Park Service assumed responsibility for the lighthouse. In 1950, the lighthouse was deemed safe again and the light was moved back to the iconic "barber pole" striped structure by the sea.
In 1999, the lighthouse and associated structures were moved 2900 feet to a location 1500 feet inland from the beach. While Hatteras Island continues to shift westward, the move should protect the lighthouse from the sea for another century or more.
The visitor center provides the typical amenities that include an information desk, bookstore and restrooms. A ticket booth for climbing the tower is located adjacent to the visitor center.
We visited in October 2015 during our trip to the Outer Banks. Due to severe storms along the east coast that flooded low lying areas, the road to Hatteras Island had been closed for several days. When it reopened, floodwaters still covered much of the parking lot and some of Lighthouse Road. Since the floodwaters also damaged the quarters for the seasonal rangers, they were sent home early and the tower climbing season ended prematurely. While we were disappointed that we couldn't climb the tower, we were also grateful for the amazing job the the staff had done to re-open the grounds for visitors to safely enjoy so quickly after access was restored.
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| One section of the parking lot |
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| Lighthouse Road |
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| Visitor Center |
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| Visitor Center entrance |
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| Information Desk |
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| Bookstore |
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| Hatteras Lighthouse |
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| Small ponds covered the grounds |
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| The double lightkeeper's quarters is now a museum that was also closed for the season |
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| Seasonal rangers lived in this historic building |
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| Lighthouse entrance |
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| Amphitheater for ranger talks |
Entrance to Cape Hatteras National Seashore is free. The lighthouse is normally open daily from the third Friday in April until Columbus Day, but may close due to adverse weather. A fee of $8 per adult is assessed to climb to the exterior observation deck of the lighthouse. Seniors aged 62 and older; children under age 12, but taller than 42 inches; and the disabled may climb for only $4.
The seashore website is
http://www.nps.gov/caha/index.htm.
