Outer Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore Expedition

[Bella PSD]

Gathering info on this trip. We will be leaving around June 8th. I have a 1-day Photo shoot in Walkertown NC on the way down. Arrive in Nags Head on the 9th. I will stay with friends at a house on the beach for 6 days and then the fun begins. But during the 1st week I would like to plan day trips from Nags Head North up to Virginia boarder.

After the 1st week I would like to travel mostly by beach (time permitting) from Nags Head to Cape Lookout on the Core Banks. This will entail several ferries rides that last up to 2.5 hours. Once at the Cape Lookout National Seashore we will camp out a few nights on the beach. Camping will be in our newly built Flip Pac camper!! It is not finished now, but I have been working on it every day. Cape Lookout National Seashore consists of 56 miles of undeveloped beach stretching over 4 barrier islands from Ocracoke Inlet on the north to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast; the islands are only reachable by boat and vehicle ferry. During our stay at Cape Lookout National Seashore we plan on exploring the core banks north and south. There are no roads at all and travel is all by beach and beach access trails.

Anyone tried this or any portion of the trip?…Mostly looking for experience in the ferries and Cape Lookout National Seashore camping.

I will update as planning is finalize!! I am getting excited just typing this….Can’t wait!!
If all goes as planned, I will have traveled from the Virginia boarder (as far N as you can go) to the tip of Cap Lookout (the farthest south)

Here is the Cape Lookout National Seashore camping web site http://www.nps.gov/calo/planyourvisit/camping.htm

Louie

 

[jim65wagon]

OMG! That is going to be a sweet trip! We're sorry we're not going to be able to go to the outer banks this year. After you get up to the VA border don't forget to cross the fence into False Cape State Park, just to say you've been there.

 

[Bella PSD]

Here is a quick map of the southern trip. I will also travel from #4 North towards #3 on Cape Lookout National Seashore. I will also travel North to the VA from here.

 

[mtnbike28]

Core Banks

We did the Core Banks many years ago. Oh my gawd was it hot.... we rode up and down the beach just to run the AC. We were in tents and got ate alive by no see-ums at night. You will be better in the camper you have.

I had shown my 5 year old the ghost crabs the first night, and she wakes me up screaming, the crabs are biting me, yeah yeah, it's a dream go to sleep... in the morning she was really ate up with bug bites (doh, bad dad)

Mosquitoes are also bad, very bad, at the village (forget the name) that is at the north end. I made the mistake of mocking (quietly to my wife) visitors in head nets when we got there.... wished I had one soon enough.

Fishing was great as was the sleeping just above the high tide line! Also after a storm, lots of seashells litter the beach, go for a long walk, it is worth it...

I might also suggest looking into Freeman Park in Carolina Beach. It is supposed to have beach camping too... we tried in April but heavy thunderstorms and too cool conditions for the family forced us off the beach.

I will try to remember other stuff... it's been a long time ago. OK just 11 years.

Jay

 

[Bella PSD]

The Bugs...The Bugs

I have heard about the bugs many times. I wonder if they will be all that bad in mid June? Also, with an off shore breeze, maybe they will not be to bad?

Louie

 

[94-RUNNER]

The Bugs..The BugS..

After living in N.C. for many years and going the Outer Banks many, many of times I have to tell you the bugs are HE$$. I have to agree that the the bugs are beyond belief ! :smileeek:
BUT, there is nothing like the Outer Banks of N.C.
Clean long beaches,
Not many people !
And a lot of peace and quite. Not to mention GREAT FISHING :victory:
There is nothing like spending a day of driving on the dunes and then catching a couple of Flounder from the beach and enjoying a great meal and spending the rest of the peaceful evening grilling out and enjoying the time with the family:bowdown:

It makes the bugs go away ! (family)

 

[jim65wagon]

After living in N.C. for many years and going the Outer Banks many, many of times I have to tell you the bugs are HE$$. I have to agree that the the bugs are beyond belief !
quote]

Yeah the bugs can be bad; DEET or the spray of your choice helps.

Just remember: Even a bad day on the beach is better than a good day at work.

Bugs are better than bosses.

 

[mike h]

Great trip you are planning - I've done it 3 times in the past 6 years, from Atlantic Beach north along the banks, then inland to the Chesapeak Bay Bridge, and up to Chinkoteague and Assataegue, then back to Maine.

I went late August early September. Bugs are a part of being outdoors, unless it is really stagnant, still air you are usually fine on the beach. A light breeze is all you need to keep all but the heaviest horseflies at bay. Inland, at a campsite in the dunes, they may be annoying. Bring some light long pants/long sleeve shirt and bug spray and it's fine.

Wind and storms can move in fast and destroy a poorly set tent, so be aware and use sand stakes if you're setting up a longterm camp. Watch the lunar cycle - full moon brings the highest tides, and some parts of the beach are not passable at full high tide. The park service will not put a strap on your vehicle - they only pull people to safety - and private wreckers have the beach recon contract. Be careful of the occasional drunk youngster caravans - they will be the ones driving new Rubicons out into the surf. (Note to self: never buy a used 4wd from a beach community)

But overall the people are great, the beach is wide open, it's a great place to be.

I base out of Frisco, that is the only camp in the dunes that isn't an RV parking lot. I only return there to sleep - can't sleep on the beach - wake up and drive onto the beach to make breakfast. From there, you can drive the beach north or south, and depending on conditions, scoot back to Highway 12 as needed, either a forced detour if a section of beach is closed or simply to make time. Good kayaking/canoeing bay side.

Gas, ice, food, camp supplies (or pizza/ice cream) - it's all readily available within 20 minutes along hwy 12, so no need for over-packing. Showers/bathrooms are pretty good at the Frisco camp, and all the larger park service campsites have decent facilities.

Ferries are first come/first serve, but they run often, and I've never had to wait more than an hour. They run in 20 minute intervals. It's common to drive up and get on the very next one. Ocracoke is the busier destination, so that backs up sometimes.

They do not have air stations at the access points, so if you drop psi, you need to run for a while on the pavement to find a compressor. Just something to be aware of - I don't drop as low as I would at a site with a compressor. The beach sand is pretty hardpack, some folks don't drop psi at all, but the access road thru the dunes gets thick and soft.

You can make a fire below the high tide line, so scavenge driftwood during the day (or buy firewood bundles at the grocery store).

Hope that helps,

mike

 

[mike h]

As I re-read your initial question - the roadless islands - I have been there on foot, but not with vehicle. That is different - you will be on your own there, no food/supplies. I need to get out there myself for a few nights, not sure how to guide you on the ferries, we took a small boat taxi out of Beaufort with a bunch of surfers for the day. There is a network of sandy inland roads and beach access, I think the park service patrols by air or ATV - you are pretty much all on your own out there.

Maybe I need to get back there this summer to do that part?

m.

 

[Bella PSD]

Here is more detailed map of the route South of Ocracoke were will pick up the 2nd ferry to Ceder Island. We are looking to camp out on the beach somewere from Cape Lookout at the South to anywere North on the beach the Next 30 miles.
Louie

 

[Desertdude]

Made that trip back in '69 when it was just designated a National Seahore, and many times since. Its been ten years since my last visit. The mosquitoes on Ocracoke will kill you. If there is a land breeze the bugs will be out in force. I remember sitting on a picnic table at high noon 90 degrees and the mosquitoes were deadly. (sorry to beat this to death)

I would never let the bugs stop me from visiting this magical place. The water, the sand, the history... its all there!

 

[desertgirl66]

At sunset we would go over to the Sound side of the Island and cook. The bugs seemed to be much less intense on that side. Of course you still had to get to the shore side and deal with them, but it is sooo great on the Outer Banks. I really liked it near Hatteras, we did some great camping there. :beer:

 

[Nullifier]

My wife and I were there for a week not to long ago. The funniest thing to get your hands on is carteret county news. It is a little paper you can get in beaufort. THey have a section in the beginning that is where the locals of each area have "family" updates and "event" info. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen.

Example and use your best north carolina accent here. "Jimmy came home from college for his 19th birthday this past weekend, His mother fixed a Spaggetti and meatballs dinner with a salad. It was delicious. He recived money and clothes."

Or this one "catholic church youth group fundraiser to be held at the Scout hut. Items to be auctioned off include 2 guns, a pool, and an old lawn mower. call for details."

THis is actually how it reads folks no joke. We bought a stack of them and have our relatives who own vacation house up there send us some periodically. We hit the floor laughing everytime.

 

[Bella PSD]

My wife and I were there for a week not to long ago. The funniest thing to get your hands on is carteret county news. It is a little paper you can get in beaufort. THey have a section in the beginning that is where the locals of each area have "family" updates and "event" info. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen.

Here is a link to the paper. One thing I found at the on line paper was a tide report with corrections times for Cape Lookout!! I WILL need this Driving on the beach.

http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/

Thanks
Louie

 

[mightymike]

Example and use your best north carolina accent here. "Jimmy came home from college for his 19th birthday this past weekend, His mother fixed a Spaggetti and meatballs dinner with a salad. It was delicious. He recived money and clothes."

Or this one "catholic church youth group fundraiser to be held at the Scout hut. Items to be auctioned off include 2 guns, a pool, and an old lawn mower. call for details."

Hey! I resemble those remarks:xxrotflma