The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks in the town of Buxton, North Carolina, and is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The lighthouse protects one of the most hazardous sections of the Atlantic Coast where the Gulf Stream collides with the Virginia Drift, a branch of the Labrador Current from Canada.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. From ground to peak, it is 193.20 feet tall, with 269 steps from the sidewalk to the lantern room. Visitors can climb 257 steps.