National Seashore Updates for the Week of November 21

Do you have a loved one who wants a pony this holiday season? On Ocracoke Island, this Christmas wish is easy to fulfill. Outer Banks Forever, the local nonprofit partner of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, is offering an opportunity to Adopt a Pony, giving horse lovers a chance to connect with the wild ponies that [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com The National Parks Conservation Association has announced that Dave Hallac, Superintendent of the Outer Banks Group of National Parks, is one of two recipients of this year’s Stephen T. Mather Awards for unparalleled dedication to protecting unique national park resources at all odds. The Stephen T. Mather Award, first presented in 1984 and [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) is urging caution on roads and beaches from tonight into this weekend, due to the potential for strong wind gusts, elevated tides and heavy rainfall associated with a low-pressure system. As of this morning, the National Weather Service has issued the following updates: Strong Force Wind and Gale Warnings, High [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The sea turtle nesting season is winding down, and with 303 nests recorded along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS), 2024 is another solid year for nesting activity, although not as active as recent record-breaking years, including 2023. 2023 had the third-highest number of turtle nests reported since data collection began, which was part of [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) recently awarded a $1.7 million contract to Yorkshire Industries of New York, New York to remove the top layer of asphalt, regrade and apply a new layer of asphalt in the approximately 195,650 square foot parking lot at CHNS’ Oregon Inlet Marina. The resurfaced parking lot will be elevated to address [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Phase 1 of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Pathway Project is expected to be fully finished by the end of December 2024, but the new pathway is already being enjoyed by pedestrians and bikers who want a safer cruise along Lighthouse Road. The first 1.6-mile-long phase of the pathway officially broke ground in November 2023, and [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

With 2,298,288 visitors recorded in the first nine months of 2024, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) is on track to have another busy year. Per statistics from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, CHNS recorded the following monthly totals for 2024: January – 77,193 February – 79,256 March – 154,935 April – 197,239 May – 267,243 June – 404,323 [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Stripped of its iconic black-and-white stripes, and encased in a tower of scaffolding, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is nearly unrecognizable. On the grounds bordering the tower, there are piles of intricate metal pieces that need to be repaired or replaced, including the top level landings and railings. The outer landscape is a patchwork of semi-finished [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

An advisory against swimming was posted today at a sound-side site in Dare County, where state officials found bacteria levels in the water that exceed the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards. The advisory is for the Salvo Day Use Area on the sound across from ramp #23 in Salvo along the [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Following the recent collapses of three unoccupied houses on G A Kohler Court in Rodanthe, Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) employees and a contractor have worked together to clean approximately 20 miles of beach. Status of beach closures and safety precautions For public safety, the beach is closed from G A Kohler Court through Sea [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore CHNS) has temporarily closed the beach from G A Kohler Court in Rodanthe to Wimble Shores North Court in Waves after a Rodanthe home collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, September 24. This is the third unoccupied home to collapse in the immediate area since Friday morning, September 20. The temporary closure also [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the following press release on Friday, September 20, which provides an update on the ongoing work to remediate petroleum contamination at Buxton Beach.  The company contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, arrived today at the former Buxton Naval Facility, a Formerly Used Defense Sites [...] Seashore News |  Full Article