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NPS opens village beaches to ORVs
Cape
Hatteras National Seashore beaches that have been seasonally closed to
off-road vehicle (ORV) use in front of Hatteras Island villages and on
Ocracoke will re-open on Sunday, Sept. 16.
Some areas may still experience closures where the beaches are too
narrow and unsafe for ORV use, and visitors throughout the park should
expect to see continued resource protection areas for sea turtle nests.
These areas are closed to ORV, pedestrians, and pets.
The following areas reopen to ORV access on Sunday, Sept. 16:
• Tri-villages (Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo) beachfront
-- 3 miles in length that extends from the southernmost boundary of Pea
Island National Wildlife Refuge to Ramp 23.
• Avon village beachfront -- 3.5 miles in length. There is through access from Ramp 34 to Ramp 38.
• Ocracoke village beachfront -- 2.9 miles in
length. There is through access from Ramp 68 to South Point.
The following areas remain closed to ORV use and are open to pedestrian access.
• Approximately 1.5 mile south of Ramp 38 to 0.4 miles north of Ramp 43.
• 1.1 miles south of Ramp 49 to 0.2 mile north of Ramp 55
• Ramp 67 to Ramp 68 is closed adjacent to
Ocracoke Campground until the campground closes on Oct. 30, 2007.
“These closures are based, in part, on past practice,” said
seashore superintendent Mike Murray. “The policy on
seasonal closures needs to be reviewed and will be referred to the
negotiated rulemaking committee to make a recommendation. We
would appreciate everyone’s cooperation with the current
situation while we work on long-term solutions.”
Sections of seashore ocean beaches may be temporarily closed to ORV use
when narrowness of the beach might compromise visitor safety.
These temporary closures also help reduce the danger of damage to
personal property, dunes, or adjacent private lands. Narrow areas
of ocean beach temporarily closed to ORV use are assessed monthly by
park rangers and re-opened if the beach width has expanded. Ocean
beach areas open to ORV use are patrolled regularly to monitor for
safety concerns such as drop-offs and ledges.
Threatened or endangered species of sea turtles visit or nest on
seashore beaches and are protected by federal regulations. Sea
turtle nesting season generally ends in August, but it may take up to
two months after eggs are laid for the nests to hatch. Temporary
resource closures will be removed once the nests hatch.
Since the Outer Banks’ beaches continue to experience high
visitation in September, the National Park Service offers the following
safety tips for all beachgoers:
Pedestrians
• Be alert to vehicles driving on the
beach. Set up beach paraphernalia in areas outside of ORV
pathways. Watch children as they may not be attentive to ORVs and
can be hard to see from a vehicle.
• Pets must be on a leash at all times.
• Do not dig large holes in the ORV
pathways. Large holes in the sand can be dangerous to other
people and vehicles as well as nesting sea turtles.
• Take your trash and equipment with you when you leave.
ORVs
• Only four-wheel drive vehicles have the tire
traction for beach driving on the seashore beaches. Do not drive
on the beach in a two-wheel drive vehicle, including front-wheel drive.
• It is recommended to lower tire pressure to 20 PSI because of the soft sand.
• Any law applicable to vehicle use on a paved
road in North Carolina also applies to ORVs on Seashore beaches.
• The speed limit is 15 mph in front of the
villages or within 100 feet of pedestrians, wildlife, and other
vehicles and 25 mph in other locations open to ORV use.
• Pedestrians have the right-of-way. Watch
out for people on the beach. Small children and sunbathers may be
hard to see with changing terrain conditions.
• Stay off the dunes! Drive only on that
portion of the beach which lies between the foot of the dunes and the
ocean. When possible, drive on the portion of the beach just
below the high tide mark. Avoid getting too close to the water.
• Be aware of changes in the tide. High tides can sometimes cut off sections of the beach.
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