Cape Hatteras National Seashore

They call this stretch of North Carolina barrier islands the Graveyard of the Atlantic — 70 miles of treacherous currents, shoals, and storms that have claimed ships for centuries. Congress authorized Cape Hatteras National Seashore in 1937, and it became the country's first national seashore in 1953. The park service protects the coastline from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island, and the fishing and surfing here are considered the best on the East Coast. The seashore's beaches are free and open to the public.