On the morning of April 15, 2022, an ORV-only corridor was installed south of Ramp 44 allowing passage near an American oystercatcher nest. The corridor begins at approximately 0.17 miles south of the ramp. Access to Cape Point remains open to ORVs through the use of the corridor.
Access to the west of Bypass Road for roughly 0.42 miles is available to those who want to walk down Bypass Road. The distance from the entrance to Bypass Road to the open beach is around 0.20 miles. A portion of South Beach is also available after a short walk from the parking area at the south end of South Beach Road.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore will continue to monitor this nest and make adjustments to the area, as needed. Due to the decreased size of the Cape Point area, it is likely that the southern tip of Cape Point will close in 24-30 days when the nest hatches.
Historical Information
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In 2021, an ORV-only corridor to Cape Point was installed 10 days earlier than this year, on April 5. Cape Point then closed on May 15 and remained closed until August 5.
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In back-to-back years, Cape Hatteras National Seashore have used ORV corridors to extend ORV access to Cape Point by approximately a month compared to previous years. Prior to the implementation of ORV corridors in 2017, Cape Point regularly closed in early April. Without this morning’s corridor installation, Cape Point would be closed.
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore will do its best to provide as much access south of Ramp 44 in the coming months, but beach goers should be aware that the area, including Cape Point, has lost a significant amount of south-facing beach over the last few years.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach access updates are regularly posted at http://go.nps.gov/beachaccess.