Once dubbed the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for its treacherous currents, shoals, and storms, Cape Hatteras has a wealth of history relating to shipwrecks, lighthouses, and the US Lifesaving Service.

[3] The funds to purchase much of the land for Cape Hatteras National Seashore were donated by multi-millionaire philanthropist Paul Mellon.

[5] The name change was done to accommodate hunting interests, which at that time was a unique allowance for a National Park Service managed entity.

The Defenders of Wildlife have claimed that the use of ORVs on park lands has degraded the habitat used by the nesting birds,[9] many of which are also federally protected species.

[13] The plan also proposes new parking facilities, ORV ramps, and water shuttles to increase visitor access to beaches.

The plant hardiness zone in Cape Hatteras National Seashore is 8b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 19.6 °F (-6.9 °C).