Future is not looking good for OBX ORV use.

[supersapper-rpm]

The NPS has new beach access rules to "preserve the unique plants and wildlife of this dynamic barrier island ecosystem while permitting the carefully managed use of vehicles on designated ORV routes at the seashore. The special regulation becomes effective on February 15, 2012." This is not good. Forget about the morning bite if you want to drive out to your favorite fishing spot early, they open at 8am and make you watch a video about "responsible ORV use" and no day passes, you have to buy a week ($50) or an annual pass($120). In addition the annual pass is not good for one year from date of issue, its good until the end of the year. Imagine the line in the summer to get on the beach while people are watching this video. Is it me or are all the things we love in America under attack? I would say we should do what we can to try and prevent this from happening but its already here and took effect early this year. As with all government operations this is just the beginning of their beach access restrictions, they will "carefully manage" this until its gone forever. This is bad for local OBX businesses and just another example of our American way of life being taken away one small grab at a time, kind of like the slow boiling of a frog-don't notice the bath is getting too hot until its dinner time. These multi-use beaches have been used responsibly for decades why change it? Whats next a sunshine use tax? Admittedly I am no expert on this issue I just want to get the conversation started. Feel free to tell me Im wrong about this(I hope I am). Thanks, sapper

http://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/off-road-vehicle-use.htm

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/p...ach.Driving.Rules.Impacting.the.Local.Economy

 

[supersapper-rpm]

Maybe some good news in this article, http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/?e=199 I guess the battle for OBX beaches isn't lost.....yet. Still researching this subject.

 

[ReconH3]

Damn. Haven't had the chance to visit the area yet. Hopefully it won't go through.

 

[Hans3T]

Same...

We gotta plan a trip before then.

Sent using Tapacrack

 

[SC_Hummer_Guy]

Yeah gonna be mad if I don't make it out onto the beach before something like this happens.

 

[ArtHummer]

I've been in OBX few times this summer. It wasn't to bad. Maybe some one from NC can say more about it.

Basically you have 2 choices if you want to get on the send with your rig. One, is to go north past Duck town. Second, is to go South to Hatteras Island.

North side, past Duck, don't have any regulation. The paved road stops and you get on the send. You can drive all the way to a Virginia boarder. Never got that far, but the park patrol officer that i talked to sad that there is a fence on the boarder and you can drive any further. Also, more inland there is a fenced area where the wild horses live. You are not allowed to drive there aether. There is a little off-road trail that goes thru the dunes and some forest area. Nothing hard since the rental Jeep Tours drive on it. I was not able to get that far also. (we spent allot of time driving and my girlfriend had to get out and get in to the water and get some tan...) Btw, all the beach roads are marked on the Google maps... The only thing is, DO NOT STOP ON THE ENTRANCE TO DEFLATE YOUR TIRES. Park police really don't like that. You have to drive few hundred yards before you can stop. But in any case you will not need it.

South side is a bit further but less crowded the North. Yes we had to sit, watch the video and pay $50 for a week. But the restrictions were not that bad. Some of the parts of the beach are not accessible for ORV use at all but about 70% is open. Also, when we been there first time, some of the areas where closed due to the turtle nesting. Still there is plenty open area to drive. Another restriction is that you can't park your can on the beach overnight, you have to be of the send by sundown, but you still can park your car on the parking lot a sit on the beach all night. Another good thing about Hatteras is that you allowed to make fire right on the send and stay there. The only thing is that you will need a fireplace permit that you can pick up at the park office when you will get your ORV permit. Fireplace permit is FREE.