The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) recently announced that they are offering a new and unique guided tour program at the historic Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Station just north of Avon.
“Meet with a Ranger for a guided tour, where you’ll explore the inside of the 1874 Boat House and 1892 Cook House,” stated CHNS in the announcement.
“Immerse yourself in the rich history and captivating stories of this iconic station. Don’t miss this opportunity to step back in time and experience a vital piece of North Carolina’s maritime heritage!”
The weekly program and guided tour begins on June 28, and will be held every Friday at 3:30 p.m. through Labor Day. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.
The Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Station is located 3.5 miles north of Avon on the soundside of N.C. Highway 12. Visitors should note that there are no restrooms at the site.
Originally built on the beach about 11 miles north of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Little Kinnakeet’s 1874 boathouse – one of North Carolina’s original seven Life-Saving Stations – was relocated to the soundside in 1900. Four years later, a new station building, with its distinctive wrap-around porch, was constructed.
The new CHNS program at Little Kinnakeet coincides with the year-long 150th anniversary celebration of the arrival of the Life-Saving Service along the North Carolina coastline.
In 1874, funds were appropriated to build seven stations in the state of N.C. These seven stations included the following:
- Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station – Chicamacomico was the first of the seven stations to be fully operational, and the original 1874 station and additional structures still remain as a popular Hatteras Island attraction and museum.
- Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Station – Little Kinnakeet was deactivated in 1954, but the station still stands along the soundside, just north of Avon.
- Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station – The newer 1898 Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station, located on the southern edge of Oregon Inlet, still exists, although the station is closed to the public.
- Nags Head Life-Saving Station – The original Nags Head Station no longer exists, as it was destroyed in 1962 during the historic Ash Wednesday Storm.
- Kitty Hawk Life-Saving Station – Located near milepost 4.5 on the Beach Road, the 1874 Kitty Hawk Station now houses the Black Pelican Restaurant.
- Caffey’s Inlet Life-Saving Station – Situated in the town of Duck on the Dare-Currituck County line, Caffey’s Inlet Life-Saving Station now serves as a restaurant within the Sanderling Resort.
- Jones Hill Life-Saving Station – Also called the Currituck Beach Station, Jones Hill was moved from its original location in Corolla to a site adjacent to the Penneys Hill Station for use as a private home.
For more information on the 150th anniversary of North Carolina’s first Life-Saving Stations, click here.
For more information about the National Park Service’s weekly summertime programs, held at sites throughout the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke Islands, click here.
