The refuge has a visitor's center, where information is available on guided and self-guided tours, and there are hiking trails and observation platforms. This lifesaving station was built in 1874, and for some 70 years, the brave men of the U.S. Lifesaving Service, the forerunner of the Coast Guard, guarded the island's northern coast, battling raging seas to save sailors who were shipwrecked in storms. It is one of the most famous of the island's stations and is the only one open to the public. The grounds are open all year, and the building is open during the summer months. In this area, families can enjoy a Waterfall Park, fishing pier and numerous water sports, including parasailing, kayaking and windsurfing.
Waves is the site of a popular public windsurfing launch area.
As you travel further south on Highway 12, you'll reach our Avon office. Avon has gained popularity as a vacation destination as the sport of windsurfing has grown, and shops offering lessons and rental equipment abound. In between the villages of Avon and Buxton, you'll find Canadian Hole, one of the most famous windsurfing spots on the East Coast. The Canadian Hole is the most popular and well known windsurfing spot on Hatteras Island. The site is named for the many visitors from Canada who flock to the island to ride the wind in the Pamlico Sound.