Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Managed by National Park Service
4,511 acres13.6 mi of trail
Mountains-to-Sea TrailHammock Hills TrailQuork HammockRamp 67+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailhead
Portsmouth Village · Photo: National Park Service · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Ocracoke
More than half of Ocracoke’s land is conserved: 94%
94% of Ocracoke’s land is conserved, about 5,177 acres. The biggest trail networks: Cape Hatteras National Seashore (13.6 mi). 4,237 acres are parks and preserves, 5,860 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
94%
5,177 acres · of 8.6 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,237 ac
5,860 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.1 mi
3.1 mi paths
Highest peak
13 ft
Knoll Cedars
Lakes & rivers
1
16 beaches · 5 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Cape Hatteras National Seashore, with 13.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ocracoke Light Station
Managed by National Park Service
1 acres
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
5,177 conserved acres
94% of Ocracoke’s land. Water is left out: Ocracoke has 8.6 square miles of land and 1.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Ocracoke’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service4,971 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits115 ac
Not recorded261 ac
National Lakeshore or Seashore · 4,971 acPrivate Conservation · 137 acState Other or Unknown · 123 acUnknown Easement · 115 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 58 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 8 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Hatteras National Seashore National Lakeshore or Seashore | National Park Service | 4,971 | Open |
| North Carolina Coastal Land Trust - Springers Point Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 113 | Unknown |
| NC Land and Water Fund Conservation Agreement State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 113 | Unknown |
| North Carolina Coastal Land Trust - Ocracoke Preservation Society Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 24 | Unknown |
| NC Land and Water Fund Project State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 10 | Unknown |
| Hyde County Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1 | Unknown |
Things to do
37 places to go in Ocracoke
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Ocracoke
16 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Ocracoke
The Anchorage Inn Marina Slipway
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Ocracoke
Light Station
DirectionsOcracoke Pony Pens Viewing AreaIn Cape Hatteras National Seashore
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Ocracoke
Knoll Cedars13 ft elevation · In Cape Hatteras National Seashore
DirectionsStyron Hills10 ft elevation · In Cape Hatteras National Seashore
DirectionsThe Knoll10 ft elevation · In Cape Hatteras National Seashore
DirectionsFirst Hammock Hills7 ft elevation · In Cape Hatteras National Seashore
DirectionsParkers Hill7 ft elevation · In Cape Hatteras National Seashore
DirectionsFirst Grass3 ft elevation · In Cape Hatteras National Seashore
DirectionsScrag Cedars3 ft elevation
DirectionsSecond Grass0 ft elevation · In Cape Hatteras National Seashore
DirectionsPicnic areas in Ocracoke
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Ocracoke
Jerniman's Campground
DirectionsNational Park Service Ocracoke CampgroundFee · In Cape Hatteras National Seashore · National Park Service
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.8 miHorses · 1.8 miUnpaved · 14.3 mi
Mountains-to-Sea Trail9.4 mi
Hammock Hills Trail0.7 mi
Jim Stephenson Nature Trail Springer's Point0.4 mi
Quork Hammock0.4 mi
Ramp 670.2 mi
Cockrel Creek0.2 mi
Ramp 590.2 mi
Ramp 700.2 mi
Orange trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ocracoke: April to June
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.0 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 55 | 57 | 62 | 70 | 78 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 83 | 75 | 65 | 59 |
| Rain (in) | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 7.0 | 7.2 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
April is the driest month (3.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 7.2 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Ocracoke →
Questions about parks and trails in Ocracoke
Where can I hike in Ocracoke?
The longest trail networks: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 13.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Ocracoke’s trails?
Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Ocracoke Light Station don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Ocracoke?
3.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Ocracoke?
10,168 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ocracoke or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,237 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ocracoke neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →