National Seashore Updates for the Week of August 24
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) announced several recent updates related to beach driving and recreational activities on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. Changes related to the National Seashore for the week of August 24 include the following:
The tip of Cape Point remains temporarily closed due to black skimmer nests and several black skimmer chicks. Staff monitor the area daily, and will reopen the .25 mile area when they are certain that bird nesting and chick rearing activity is over.
Water levels on Lighthouse Road and at Cape Point Campground in Buxton have dropped substantially over the last week. Large puddles still exist on the sides of these roads, however, most of Lighthouse Road is now dry. The campground’s perimeter loop has also dried out, and maintenance staff have ordered asphalt patch material to fix potholes that have developed in the Lighthouse Road area.
South Beach is open for beach walking 1.7 miles to the west and 1.2 miles to the east, and can be accessed from the south of Ramp 44, from the South Beach Road parking area, and from Ramp 48.
As of this morning, Seashore beaches have hosted 163 sea turtle nests, with 66 hatched, so far. Staff frequently install access corridors and rake in front of nests at the end of the day to ensure the protection of the habitat.
Seashore-wide, there are almost 28 miles out of 29 miles to drive on and close to 36 miles out of 38 miles available for beach walking. Daily beach access information is posted on the park’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CapeHatterasNS/.
