Photo of the Week
Post-storm view of NC-12 on Ocracoke Island after Hurricane Florence. (NPS photo)
NC Department of Transportation and National Park Service heavy equipment operators are actively working to rebuild the dunes and clean up the area.
Seashore Updates
Several updates related to recreational activities
- The majority of Cape Hatteras National Seashore visitor facilities and services reopened and restarted last weekend. Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands received some impacts from Hurricane Florence, but the impacts were not nearly as bad as the impacts felt at places like Wilmington and New Bern. Our friends at Cape Lookout National Seashore in Carteret County and Moores Creek National Battlefield in Pender County will be dealing with post-Florence clean up and repairs for at least the next several months.
- The southern portion of Ocracoke Island will reopen to visitors starting tomorrow morning. Due to damage to NC-12 and the dunes at the north end of the island, the only ferry routes running to Ocracoke will be the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island routes. The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route will be reestablished after road and dune repairs are completed at the north end of the island.
- Almost all beach access ramps and routes were reopened last Sunday. Go to: http://go.nps.gov/beachaccess for beach and ocean info updates.
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore will hold beach cleanup events on Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke Islands this Saturday to celebrate National Public Lands Day. See the Upcoming Events section for more details.
Upcoming Events*
- Bodie Island Lighthouse Climbing
- Jul 28-Oct 8, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm daily
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Climbing
- Jul 28-Oct 8, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm daily
- Beach Cleanup Event - National Public Lands Day
- Sept 22 [Press Release]
- Description: Cape Hatteras National Seashore will hold an event to clean up beaches along the Seashore to celebrate National Public Lands Day.
- Hurricane Alley
- Sep 22-28 from 11:00 am to 11:30 am
- Location: Hatteras Island Visitor Center Pavilion
- Description: Hurricanes and nor'easters are a fact of life on the Outer Banks. Learn how these powerful storms shaped this area!
- Cape Hatteras Light Station Talk
- Sep 22-28 from 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm
- Location: Hatteras Island Visitor Center Pavilion
- Description: Discuss the details and history of this beautiful sentinel.
- Ocracoke Island History
- Dates:
- Sep 23 from 10:30 am to 11:00 am
- Sep 26 from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm
- Location: Ocracoke Visitor Center Amphitheater
- Description: Learn about the island’s rich past.
- Dates:
- Peek Inside the Ocracoke Lighthouse
- Dates:
- Sep 23 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
- Sep 24 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
- Sep 25 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
- Learn about the history of the Ocracoke Lighthouse and peek inside with a park ranger.
- Dates:
- Barrier Island Nature
- Sep 24 from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm
- Ocracoke Visitor Center Amphitheater
- Description: Join us for a talk about the wild side of the park.
- Pirates!
- Sep 25 from 10:30 am to 11:00 am
- Location: Ocracoke Visitor Center Amphitheater
- Description: Yes, they were here! Learn about Blackbeard and others.
- Banker Ponies
- Sep 26 from 10:00 am to 10:30 am
- Location: Ocracoke Pony Pens
- Description: The Banker Ponies are definitely a must-see.
Thank you!
Without support and critical weather information from federal, state, and local agencies, preparing for severe weather events like Hurricane Florence would be very difficult for Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial. Many thanks to Dare County and Hyde County Emergency Management, National Weather Service, NC Department of Transportation, Dare County Sheriff's Office, Hyde County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard.