National Seashore will open most Hatteras Island visitor areas at noon on Thursday; Avon Pier will open at 8:00 a.m.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore will open most visitor areas on Hatteras Island, including those in the villages of Frisco and Hatteras, on Thursday at noon.
National Park Service visitor areas and services on Ocracoke Island remain closed. The ferry between Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island is not accessible to visitors.
“While the Seashore is pleased to reopen almost all visitor areas on Hatteras Island, some park areas, businesses, and many community members are still recovering from the harsh impacts of Hurricane Dorian. We ask for your patience while the community continues to recover,” stated Superintendent David Hallac.
Open facilities and services as of 9/11/12 include:
- Beachfront parking areas
- The Oregon Inlet Fishing Center
- Oregon Inlet boat ramps and parking
- Off-road vehicle routes from Ramp 2 to Ramp 44 at Cape Point
- Salvo Day Use Area
- The Haulover Day Use Area
- The Kite Point sound side access
- Oregon Inlet and Cape Point Campgrounds
- Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras lighthouse climbing operations and bookstores
- Off-road vehicle permit offices at the Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras lighthouses
- The Inside Road between Ramp 44 and South Beach Road (old Ramp 45)
- The Avon Pier opens at 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning
Facilities and services that will open at noon, or before, on 9/12/19:
- Off road vehicle routes from Ramp 48 to Ramp 55
- Frisco Beach Access
- All of the Inside Road between Ramps 44 and 49
- Billy Mitchell airstrip
Closed areas north of Buxton include:
- Restrooms at the Salvo Day Use area are closed until flooded septic tanks can be pumped.
- A portion of Haulover Day Use area parking and the restrooms are closed due to damage to the parking area, seawall and railing, and flooding of the restroom septic system.
- Frisco Campground until test results demonstrate that the water is potable.
- Pole Road is closed due to flooding.
Beachgoers should be aware of ocean debris that may have washed ashore and buried items that were exposed during tropical storm conditions. Be aware that dangerous rip currents and large swells may still produce life-threatening surf conditions. For a daily rip current forecast go to: http://www.weather.gov/beach/mhx. For information on rip currents safety go to: http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov.
