North Carolina events › Answers › Can You Drive on the Beach at Cape Hatteras?
Driving on the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore requires an off-road vehicle permit, and whatever is posted in the field is the official status for a beach. Pets must be on a 6-foot leash and are barred from designated swim beaches, and beach fires are allowed only at set times and places.
- ORV PermitRequiredNPS
- Pet Leash6 feetNPS
- Beach FiresRules by SeasonNPS
- Posted StatusIs Officialin the field
Rules From The Park Service and State Park
| Topic | What The Page Says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Hatteras National Seashore: pets | Your pet must be on a 6' leash at all times and are prohibited within any resource closure. Pets are not allowed on designated swim beaches or in buildings. Please, for your pet's sake, never leave them unattended. Also, for everyone's and the environment's sake, clean up after your pet. | page |
| Cape Hatteras National Seashore: off-road vehicle permit | Use of ORVs within Cape Hatteras National Seashore requires a permit. Whatever is posted in the field is the official status for any particular beach. Required equipment: a low-pressure tire gauge, a shovel, a jack, and a jack support board. For current beach access ramp status: https://go.nps.gov/beachaccess | page |
| Cape Hatteras National Seashore: beach fires | Beach fires are allowed from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm from November 16th through April 30th throughout the park. Beach fires are only permitted from May 1st through November 15th on the ocean beaches at Coquina Beach, Ocracoke Day Use area, and the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras. Anyone wanting to have a beach fire must have a FREE Beach Fire Permit. | page |
| Jockey's Ridge State Park: pets | Pets are allowed at the park, except they are not permitted inside buildings. Due to hot sand and sandspurs, we recommend protection for paws; sand temperatures may be as much as 30 degrees higher than air temperatures. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times. | page |
| Jockey's Ridge State Park: fees | There are no fees required to access Jockey's Ridge State Park for day use. Fees are charged for certain event permits and facility reservations. | page |
Page update dates: NPS pets October 29, 2024; NPS beach activities April 25, 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I check which ramps are open?
The NPS beach activities page points to go.nps.gov/beachaccess for current ramp status.
What equipment is required?
The NPS page lists a low-pressure tire gauge, a shovel, a jack and a jack support board.
What We Could Not Confirm
- No permit price or purchase page was found on the pages we read, so none is given.
- Both NPS pages are older than this year; read the current page before you drive onto a beach.
Sources
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore: pets
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore: off-road vehicle permit
- Jockey's Ridge State Park: pets
Read on October 27, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
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