Cape Pines Motel

Cape Pines Motel sits directly on NC-12 in Buxton, the Hatteras Island village built up around the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. It's a straightforward place to sleep for travelers headed to the lighthouse grounds, the National Park Service visitor center, or the seashore beaches that run along this stretch of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Buxton sits roughly in the middle of the island's strung-out village chain — Avon and the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo villages lie north, Frisco and Hatteras village (departure point for the free ferry) lie south, all connected by the same two-lane NC-12. That's worth keeping in mind here more than almost anywhere else on the Outer Banks: NC-12 does wash out and close during storms, a real and recurring feature of life on Hatteras Island rather than a one-time event, so it's worth checking road conditions before and during a hurricane-season visit (roughly August through October).

The lighthouse itself — the tallest brick lighthouse in the country, moved inland in 1999 to escape encroaching erosion — is currently closed for climbing due to a cast-iron bracket issue found during restoration, so plan on viewing it from the grounds rather than climbing to the top.