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The beach north of Corolla is open year round to everybody with no beach permit required. You can drive all the way to the fence on the beach at the NC/VA state line. The north beach ramp for it is located at the end of the main road (Route 12) in Corolla. The beaches are real hard and flat. If you go out at the north beach ramp it has a lot of old stumps sticking up all over the beach from an old forest so watch where your driving and try not to run over any small pieces of wood. Those small pieces of wood could be one of those buried stumps which could damage your tire. If you have a permit you can drive on the beach north of the NC/VA state line all the way to Sandbridge in Virginia Beach through Virginia's False Cape State Park and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It's 24 hours a day between October and May. From May through September, no vehicles are allowed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. for sake of turtle and shorebird nesting. Permits are given to permanent residents who lived on the northern Outer Banks before Dec. 31, 1979. The geographic cutoff for qualification as a resident goes from the state line to 1,600 feet south of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Some allowances should be made for all permanent residents who need to travel the beach for their jobs and for medical emergencies.
The ramps inside the town of Corolla are open October 31 - May 31 with no permit required.
Only commercial fishermen are allowed to drive on the beach in Kitty Hawk.
Kill Devil Hills ramps are open October 1 - April 30 with no beach permit required. Don't drive in the wet brown colored gravel near the water, you go down 6 inches just walking in it.
Nags Head ramps are open October 1 - April 30 and a beach driving sticker is required for each vehicle that must be renewed annually. The sticker should be placed on the left front bumper of the vehicle and can be purchased from the town for $25 per permit at the Municipal Complex in Nags Head or from any of these tackle shops, Fishing Unlimited, Whalebone Tackle and T.W.'s Bait and Tackle. There's a 60 dollar fine for not having one.
For questions about one of the local town's beaches try these links.
If your looking for a beach to drive on that's not crowded you can try the Core Banks south of Ocracoke Island. You'll need to take at least two vehicles and don't forget anything like bug spray because there's no stores or tow trucks. Also check the weather forecast, it's not the place to be during a nor'easter or hurricane and the ferry can't get over there to pick you up in rough water.
Let your air out of your tires to about 20 pounds. If the sand is real loose like the brown colored gravel sand then you might need to drop it to 15 pounds. Don't try to make your own road, follow the tracks that are already there. Don't drive in the water, see the picture above. You can drive near it but stay away from the wet looking spots and the spots with a lot of shells on it. Avoid running over wood and other trash on the beach, it could puncture your tire. Watch out for people and fishing lines. Also if your driving on the beach at night try not to let your headlights hit the water if there are people drum fishing in the area. A lot of people believe that it has to be done in total darkness and if your headlights hit the water while your driving by you'll scare the drum away for 4 hours.
Make sure you park above the high tide line, that’s where the water came up during the last high tide. I try to park on higher areas rather than low spots if the water is rough. If the water is rough and it looks like it's getting rougher while your out there it's a good idea to get off the beach. I've had to make a run for it in the middle of the night a few times. Usually it's the real choppy surf with an increasing wind coming off it.
Recommended equipment to have with you is a shovel, a small army shovel doesn't take up much space. You'll need a good tire pressure gauge and if your in a hurry I've seen one that's set to stop automatically, some of the tackle shops are selling them. Bring a tow strap, rope or chain at least 18 feet long with a load strength of 5000 pounds. Make sure you have a spare tire, jack and jack support, an 18x18 1/2 inch thick board will work for a support. Some more equipment to have would be a flashlight, first aid kit and a small fire extinguisher. Also don't forget to take a bag for your trash. If you have a cellular phone bring that so you can get towed off the beach if your truck breaks down. I just leave everything in there so I won't forget about it because remembering that you should have brought it when you need it won't do you any good. I also keep jumper cables and tools in it to work on the truck. If the battery has a full charge and the truck doesn't start the most common problem is one of the wires at the battery terminals coming loose from bumps. If it's kind of tight but you can still move it just a little bit with your hand that's all it takes to cause a problem. If that's not the problem check the cables for splits with corrosion in it and check for other loose or corroded connections. This might save you a tow but it could be something else that you won't be able to fix.
If you start to get stuck and the wheels are spinning then stop. Try to rock it out of there with forward and reverse. If the wheels keep spinning then stop again. Let some of the air out of the tires and dig the sand out from around the back and front of the wheels. Then try to rock the truck out of there again using forward and reverse. Don't let it get buried up to the axles. If the sand is really loose with deep ruts which can be a problem in some areas during the summer, you might have to back out of that area and try going around it.
If you get buried up to your axles try to stop somebody going through and see if they will pull you out with their truck. When you get the tow strap around the bumpers go forward with them slowly. If your in a bad spot and nobody can get to you, you'll have to get a tow truck to pull you out.
If your in a situation where nobody can pull you out or your truck breaks down and you don’t have a cellular phone, try catching a ride off the beach with somebody. Park rangers will call a tow truck for you if your in the national park but they not allowed to pull you out. Don’t expect anybody else to call a tow truck for you because they could be held responsible for the bill. The reason is if the person gets out and takes off before the tow truck gets there then the person that made the call is responsible for it, I’ve had this happen to me.
Another common problem with beach driving is trucks over heating during the summer so watch your temperature gauge. If it starts getting real hot stop and turn on your heater that will cool it down. Don't let the engine get real hot because you could warp or melt something inside it.
If you have any problems with your truck breaking down on the beach call Island Convenience Store in Rodanthe 252-987-2239 they will tow it off the beach and fix it. If it's something they don't work on like transmissions, they will recommend somebody good that can fix it and tow you there. If you strip your hubs, my advice is to get Warn manual locking hubs and they can be installed on trucks that have automatic locking hubs.
Something else I want to warn you about is what the local mechanics call beach rot. That's another name for saltwater and spray damage and the reason I don't drive on the beach much anymore. I'd wash your vehicle off good after each trip. If your going to be driving on the beach a lot you might want to get your vehicle undercoated with burnt motor oil. You can get it sprayed on for about $55 dollars.
Be careful going through the washouts at Ramp 23, try to get by them as close to the dunes as possible. The sand near the water is like quick sand in those areas.