NPS and Dare County Urge Visitors to Use Caution When Attempting to Access New Sandbar

Over the last two to three months, a large sandbar has formed off Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) in the Cape Point area. Due to the number of recent water rescues the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad has made between the tip of Cape Point and the sandbar, the National Park Service and Dare County are urging all park visitors to use caution when attempting to access the offshore sandbar.

The Cape Point area is a highly dynamic location that is constantly changing through both erosion and accretion of sand. Currents between Cape Point and offshore sandbars can be very strong; therefore, the Seashore does not recommend that visitors swim or wade to these areas. The life guarded beaches at Coquina Beach, Hatteras Lighthouse Beach, and the Ocracoke Day Use Area Beach are excellent choices for swimming, especially when conditions bring dangerous rip currents to the area.

If interested in accessing the new sandbar, Seashore Superintendent David Hallac states that, “traveling to the sandbar is best accomplished by experienced kayakers or paddle boarders that are using appropriate flotation and mindful of the tides and strong currents in the area.”