Hatteras Village Park

Hatteras Village Park sits right in the heart of the village, a small nature reserve built around the Sea Breeze Trail — a quarter-mile loop of elevated boardwalk that carries you out over salt marsh and through a pocket of maritime forest without a single wrong turn. It's an easy, flat walk rather than a hike, which is exactly its appeal on an island where most of the attention goes to the beach and the lighthouse.

The Sea Breeze Trail

The boardwalk crosses both high marsh, thick with needle rush, and tidal marsh dominated by smooth cordgrass, before ending at an observation deck over the water. Free self-guided booklets at the trailhead key out the plants and birds you're likely to see, and the marsh edge is a reliable spot for wading birds and other waterfowl, particularly early or late in the day.

• Free parking and bike racks at the trailhead
• Self-guided nature booklets available on site
• Flat, elevated boardwalk suitable for strollers and most mobility devices
• Open daily, no admission fee

It's a worthwhile stop to break up a drive along NC-12 between the Hatteras Island villages, or a quiet way to spend twenty minutes before catching the ferry out of Hatteras village.