Vehicle Parking Lot Moves to Cape Lookout Lighthouse Area

Date: February 17, 2006
Contact: Wouter Ketel, 252-728-2250 ext. 3005

Harkers Island, NC. Acting Superintendent Cherry Payne announced today that the long-term vehicle parking lot previously located in the Cape Village Historic District by Barden Inlet has been relocated to an area immediately north of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.

The primary purpose of the move was to relocate the long-term vehicle parking out of the historic district. In addition to achieving that goal, the new location provides a number of benefits for visitors. It affords private boaters better access, since sound waters next to the site are considerably deeper than the bay next to the old location, and its proximity to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse dock affords other users with easy access to their vehicles by using a variety of ferry services. In addition, the lot is adjacent to bathrooms and the park information center located next to the lighthouse dock.

“We hope visitors will be pleased with the changes,” stated Acting Superintendent Cherry Payne. “We are working to improve services to the public, and are moving ahead to protect the environment of the historic district, as we continue with the planning process to develop alternatives for re-use of the structures in the district.”

There are three parking lots where visitors can leave their vehicles unattended at the seashore: on North Core Banks at the Long Point Cabin area, on South Core Banks at the Great Island Cabin area and at the new lot north of the lighthouse. Long-term vehicle parking is available in these lots by permit only, from March 1 until December 31 of each year. Permits to use the long-term lots are available from the Harker’s Island Visitor Center, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. The cost of the permit is currently $10.00 per week.