Cape Hatteras and other national parks on NC coast open for more activities next week
More activities and services will be available at national parks on the North Carolina coast next week.
Starting May 22, there will be increased “recreational opportunities,” which were previously unavailable due to the coronavirus pandemic, at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Wright Brothers National Memorial, both on the Outer Banks, and at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on the coast, according to a Wednesday release from the National Park Service.
Park lands are already accessible, and the park service is working with authorities to increase access in phases on a “park-by-park basis,” it says.
On May 22, camping will be available at Cape Hatteras campgrounds, with limited capacity, the release says. Reservations and payments must be made online as staff will not be at campground sites to take them.
Restrooms at Cape Hatteras Beach, the Fort Raleigh visitor center and at the Wright Brothers pavilion will also be open starting May 22, the park service says.
Additionally, trash service will be available in some areas, though it will be limited.
Starting May 23, lifeguards will be back at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach, Coquina Beach, Frisco Beach and Ocracoke Beach, according to the park service.
Visitors are still encouraged to take health precautions, including wearing a face mask when around other people, staying 6 feet apart and washing hands often, the release says.
But some services and activities at the parks will still be unavailable.
Bookstores will remain closed as will The Lost Colony at Fort Raleigh and The Avon Pier, the release says. Lighthouse climbing at Cape Hatteras and Bodie Island is also still unavailable.
In-person “interpretive programs” will not be offered and Ocracoke Island boat slips are still closed, the park services says. However, boat slips at Oregon Inlet Fishing Pier are open.
The park service says full operations will return in phases.
“We are pleased to be part of the community’s thoughtful efforts to welcome visitors back to the Outer Banks and incrementally provide services and experiences,” David Hallac, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina superintendent, said in the release.
The Outer Banks will reopen to visitors on May 16, McClatchy News previously reported.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 5:33 PM with the headline "Cape Hatteras and other national parks on NC coast open for more activities next week."
