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Cape Hatteras National Seashore
From Dirtopia, The Off-Road Encyclopedia
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is located on North Carolina's Outer Banks. There is a 70 mile stretch of barrier islands that allow ORV beach access in many sections. The sections of beach are interspersed between small towns that pre-date the creation of the park. Start on highway 12 in Nags Head with a full tank of gas and head south. Please tread lightly on the beach. Avoid driving on dunes, plants, or nesting areas. This is a fragile ecosystem and there is much pressure towards closing ORV access. At the time of this writing no ORV permit is required. (The park can be reached by ferry from the South but the description below is listed from the North.)
The first ORV area is 8 miles into the park and is called Oregon Inlet. It is a short stretch of beach that offers good fishing on the ocean and inlet. There is a NPS campground and a marina there.
Across the Oregon Inlet bridge is the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge. This 20 mile section of Hatteras Island does not allow ORV access but has a lot to offer in scenery and birdwatching.
After Pea Island you will encounter various entrance ramps over the primary dune on the ocean side that lead to long stretches of unspoiled beach.
About 40 miles south of Nags Head is the town of Buxton where there are many motels and services such as food, gas, compressed air, bait, and tackle. The famous Cape Hatteras lighthouse is here. To access the beach take the light house road to the ORV ramps. This is the most popular section and you can drive out to "the point." This easternmost point of NC is formed by the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current meeting in the ocean. The point is often lined with 4WD eguipped fishing rigs.
The next town south is Frisco. Both Buxton and Frisco have NPS campgrounds and depending on the tide you can usually travel on the beach between the two towns.
At the southern tip of Hatteras Island is Hatteras Village. Lots of services are available. Pass the ferry docks to access 5 more miles of beach that leads all the way to Hatteras Inlet.
You can take a free 40 minute ferry boat ride to Okracoke Island (Blackbeards Island) to access another 15 miles of beaches and the quiant village of Okracoke.
