• Brown Pelican taking off.

    Cape Hatteras

    National Seashore North Carolina

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    New off road vehicle (ORV) regulations are now in effect. Please check here for information on how to get your ORV permit More »

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NPS Announces Cape Point Closure

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Date: April 14, 2009
Contact: Outer Banks Group, (252) 473-2111

Acting Park Superintendent Paul Stevens announced the temporary ORV access closure of the popular Cape Point area in accordance with the requirements of the consent decree.

 

On April 14, 2009, approximately 0.2 of a mile south of Ramp 44 along the ocean shoreline, National Park Service staff observed American Oystercatcher breeding behavior which resulted in the closure.  The width of the beach is very narrow in the area commonly known as “the bypass” and the required consent decree buffer of 150-meters to the north and south resulted in a full beach closure.  There currently is not an alternative ORV access route to Cape Point. 

 

For more information on beach access, see:

http://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/off-road-vehicle-use.htm or call 252-473-2111 ext. 148.

 

Did You Know?

The Principal Lightkeeper's Quarters and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse move toward their new homes, a safer distance from the ocean.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick structure ever moved.  When it was built in 1870, it stood 1,500 feet from the shore.  By 1999, the lighthouse was within 100 feet of the ocean.  To protect it from the encroaching sea, it was moved inland a total of 2,900 feet over a 23-day period.