Physical / Mobility

 

The boardwalk at Ocracoke Beach

Public

Accessing the Beach

With over 70 miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline, there are ample opportunities to access the beach and Atlantic Ocean. Accessible access points are available on all three seashore islands. Please keep in mind that the beach is incresibly dynamic, and shifting sand and wave action may temporarily make some accessible routes to be more difficult.

Beach access

Several beach access ramps along the seashore have boardwalks to assist in reaching the beach. From north to south, these are Coquina Beach, ORV Ramp 25, Frisco Beach, ORV Ramp 55, the beach access route across from the Ocracoke Pony Pens, and Ocracoke Beach. Several other routes contain boardwalks for a majority of their length but don't fully reach the waterfront. Please stop by a visitor center for further information on which beach access routes are most accessible.

Be aware that changing beach conditions can cause sand to bury the ends of boardwalks unexpectedly. Beach access routes without boardwalks may erode away to form small cliffs and steep embankments, especially during high tides and storms.

The use of special-permitted ORVs to transport individuals with mobility concerns to a predetermined location in a beach area in front of a village that is not otherwise open to ORV use may be arranged. For more information about this free limited mobility transport permit, and to acquire one, call the park information desk at 252-473-2111.

Beach wheelchairs

Beach wheelchairs is available for loan at Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Islands. During the summer, please stop by one of the lifeguarded beaches or a visitor center to borrow one for free. From September to Memorial Day, please stop by avisitor center or call [phone] for a beach wheelchair. Beach wheelchairs must be returned by 4 pm each day, even if used on consecutive days.

Bathhouses

The bathhouses at Coquina Beach, Salvo Day Use Area, Haulover Day Use Area, Frisco Beach, and Ocracoke Beach have ramps and accessible bathrooms. All bathhouses have restrooms, seasonal showers, and changing rooms.

Ocracoke Island ferries

Traveling to Ocracoke Island from Hatteras Village requires use of the seasonal passenger ferry or the year-round vehicle ferry. Ocracoke Island can also be reached by passenger ferries from Cedar Island and Swan Quarter. Those traveling in wheelchairs on the vehicle ferries may be unable to exit their vehicles for the extent of the journey (an hour or more) because space is often too tight to lower a vehicle ramp.

Restrooms are available on the vehicle ferries, as well as at the Hatteras Ferry Terminal on Hatteras Island and South Dock on Ocracoke Island. Passenger ferries load/unload in Ocracoke Village, where restroom facilities are available.

Those with mobility/balance concerns who are ambulatory should be advised that the small size of the ferries can cause them to rock, especially in choppy waters.

Ferry schedules and additional information can be found at NCDOT: Ferry Schedule hatteras (Vehicle Ferry) to Ocracoke (Vehicle Ferry).

 

Lighthouses

There are no elevators in the Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, or Ocracoke Lighthouses. There is a photo book available at the Bodie Island Lighthouse that provides views of the inside of the lighthouse and views from the top of the lighthouse for anyone unable to climb. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has 269 steps, the Bodie Island Lighthouse has 200 steps and are open for climbing seasonally. The Ocracoke Lighthouse is not open for visitors to climb, and the ground floor is only open during summer months with limited hours.

The Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras Lighthouses use metal open-grate decking on the staircases. Handrails can help provide stability. Lighthouses may be hot, humid and crowded in the summer and require advanced tickets.

Video screens in the Ocracoke Discovery Center and the Museum of the Sea provide interactive panoramic tours of the interior of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, as well as views from the top. The Ocracoke Discovery Center also features a video tour of the Ocracoke Lighthouse.

 

Restrooms

Flush restrooms are available at the Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Light Station, the Ocracoke Discovery Center, the U.S. Weather Bureau Station, Whalebone Junction Information Center, and all swim beaches other than Old Lighthouse Beach.

At least two non-flush outhouses are available at Old Lighthouse Beach, as well as Buxton Beach Access, Buxton Woods Picnic Area, Haulover Day Use Area, Salvo Day Use Area, ORV 44, and ORV 68. A single non-flush outhouse is located at ORV 4.

None of the three outhouses at Buxton Beach Access are wheelchair-accessible models. In all other locations, at least one wheelchair-accessible model is provided.

Trails

In Bodie Island, the Nature Viewing Trail and the Bodie Island Lighthouse Boardalk is fully accessible and provide great views of the sound, Lighthouse and island topography. Both trails are surfaced with either wood decking or concrete ramps.

In Hatteras Island, the Lighthouse Pathway and LORAN Rd trail are accessible with either concrete or aphalt surfaces.

All other trails are not fully accessible, although some are more suitable for mobility challenges than others.

Visitor facility ramps

The visitor centers at Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Light Station, and the Ocracoke Discovery Center are all accessible by ramp, as is the information center at Whalebone Junction. The first floor of the Hatteras Island Museum of the Sea is also accessible by ramp; however, the second floor is currently only accessible by stairs.

The U.S. Weather Bureau Station has a chair lift available on the side of the building. It is employee-operated, so a companion will have to enter first by the stairs to inform staff, who will come out to assist.

 

Accessible-marked parking at Cape Hatteras Light Station.

NPS / Phillips

Parking

Accessible-designated parking is provided at all visitor and information centers and at all swim beach locations, as well as some, but not all, non-swim beaches, ORV ramps, and trailheads.

Visitor and information centers

Accessible-marked parking is available near the visitor centers at the Bodie Island Lighthouse, the Cape Hatteras Light Station, and the Ocracoke Discovery Center, as well as the Whalebone Junction Information Center and the U.S. Weather Bureau Station in Hatteras Village.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

The Bodie island Lighthouse and visitor center are served by four accessible-marked spaces, of which none are marked as van accessible. Two of the spots are unsigned, and the other two are improperly marked with the sign in front of the access aisle.

Two spots serve the visitor center, and two serve the restrooms and Bodie Island Lighthouse boardwalk trail.

Cape Hatteras Light Station

The Cape Hatteras Light Station, where the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located, is served by five accessible-marked spaces, of which three are marked as van accessible.

Ocracoke Discovery Center

The Ocracoke Discovery Center is served by two accessible-marked spaces, of which both are marked as van accessible. The parking lot is located across the street from the discovery center and connected by a crosswalk.

Whalebone Junction Information Center

The Whalebone Junction Information Center is served by two accessible-marked spaces, of which neither are designated as accessible for vans. One of the spots is unsigned.

U.S. Weather Bureau Station

A single, van-accessible-marked parking space serves the U.S. Weather Bureau Station. The parking lot is made of gravel, and the accessible-designated parking space is not paved. There is no access aisle, although an adjacent concrete sidewalk projecting into the lot by the length of the parking spot might be able to be used as one.

Swim beaches

Accessible-marked parking is available at all four swim beaches: Coquina Beach, Frisco Beach, Ocracoke Beach, and Old Lighthouse Beach.

Coquina Beach

Coquina Beach is served by ten accessible-marked spots, of which one is designated as van accessible. This van-accessible-marked spot is about a foot narrower than required by federal regulation. Four of the accessible-marked spots are not signed, and two lack access aisles.

Some accessible-marked parking spots are covered in a thin layers of sand and gravel, some curb cuts and access aisles have thick mats of vegetation growing at their heads, and one access aisle in the southern half of the lot has a slope of 17.5%. Three accessible-marked spots in the northern lot are overgrown by vegetation, one badly so. Several spots are damaged by potholes.

Frisco Beach

Frisco Beach is served by four accessible-marked spots, of which two are designated as van accessible. All parking spots and access aisles vary in slope between 3% and 5%.

Ocracoke Beach

Ocracoke Beach is served by five accessible-marked spots, of which two are designated as van accessible. The access aisle serving two of the spots marked as accessible for standard-sized vehicles offers no firm route to the sidewalk that does not require entering the flow of traffic of the parking lot. The access aisles serving the other three spots are separated from the nearest sidewalk by a stretch of vegetation and a vertical lip up to two-inches high.

Old Lighthouse Beach

Old Lighthouse Beach features four accessible-marked spots, of which none are designated as van accessible. Two of the spots are unsigned, and two of the aisles are narrower than sixty inches. The paint on the lines is faded, and no route leads from the access aisles to the beach that does not require entering the flow of traffic within the parking lot. One access aisle does not extend fully to the end of the parking spaces it serves.

 

Accessible-marked parking at ORV Ramp 2.

NPS / Phillips

Other Beach Access

In addition to the ORV ramps below, accessible-designated parking to non-lifeguarded beaches is available at Buxton Beach Access, Haulover Day Use Area, the public beach parking near ORV 63, the Pony Pen Beach Access, Sandy Bay, and Salvo Day Use Area.

Buxton Beach Access

Buxton Beach access is served by three accessible-marked spaces, of which two are marked as van accessible. The access aisle serving the non-van-accessible-marked space does not extend fully to the end of the parking spot.

Haulover Day Use Area (Sound Access)

Haulover Day Use area is served by two accessible-marked spaces, of which neither are marked as van accessible. Neither spot is served by an access aisle, and neither spot is designated by painted stripes. One of the spots is partially covered by a sand embankment.

Pony Pen Beach Access

The Ocracoke Pony Pen Beach Access Route is served by one van-accessible-marked spot. An additional van-accessible-marked spot can be found at the Ocracoke Pony Pen across North Carolina Highway 12. The two parking lots are connected by a crosswalk.

Salvo Day Use Area (Sound Access)

Salvo Day Use Area is served by four accessible marked spaces, of which all are marked as van accessible and all serve different amenities. One serves the main beach, one serves the bathhouse, one serves a secondary beach, and one serves a boardwalk trail. The spot that serves the bathhouse is improperly signed and partially overgrown. Its access aisle does not connect to a sidewalk, and accessing the bathhouse requires crossing the road without the aid of a crosswalk.

The parking spot and and access aisle serving the boardwalk have slopes between 3% and 4%. A sand embankment blocks part of the access aisle serving the spot near the main beach.

Sandy Bay (Sound and Beach Access)

The Sandy Bay parking lot is served by one accessible-marked spot. It is not marked as van-accessible, and there are no van-accessible-marked spots. The single parking spot is not signed, and its access aisle has a 4-inch vertical drop at its head. This route then crosses loose sand and reaches the crosswalk across Highway 12 that leads to the beach access. Attaining sound access requires exiting the foot of the access aisle and entering the flow of traffic within the parking lot.

Public beach parking near ORV 63

The public beach parking near ORV 63 is a small parking lot on Ocracoke Island about three-quarters of a mile southwest of ORV 63. It is served by two accessible-marked parking spots, of which neither is marked as van accessible. Neither are signed. Both spots and their access aisle are often partially covered in sand.

ORV ramps

Accessible-designated parking is only provided At ORV 2, ORV 25, ORV 27, ORV 55, ORV 68, and ORV 70. Each of these lots contains a single accessible-marked spot except for ORV 2, which has two. ORV 2 and ORV 68 have no parking designated as van-accessible. The accessible-marked spot in the lot for ORV 68 also isn't signed.

Portions of the accessible-marked parking spaces and access aisle at ORV 2 are often covered with a foot or more of sand. The parking lot for ORV 27 has a slope between 4% and 5%, as well as a steep curb cut with a 16% slope.

The lot for ORV 70 also serves the Ocracoke Airstrip, and the accessible-designated space is positioned to prioritize service to that location. Not all ORV lots with accessible-marked parking provide flat, firm routes to the waterfront.