Outer Banks Beach Driving Map: Every 4x4 Access Point

The Outer Banks has more than 50 official beach access points where you can drive on the sand, stretching from the Virginia border at Carova all the way south to Ocracoke Inlet. They’re split across three jurisdictions with very different rules. This page maps every official access point and links you to a dedicated guide for each one — with aerial views, hours, permit requirements, and tips.

Corolla · Nags Head · Hatteras · Ocracoke

The Outer Banks Mile Marker Map

The ramp map below shows where you can get on. This one shows the coast the way people give directions on it — by milepost — with the lighthouses, the landmarks and the wild stretches drawn in.

Illustrated Outer Banks mile marker map from the Virginia line to Ocracoke, showing the Currituck 4x4 beach miles, the highway mileposts, the four lighthouses and painted vignettes of wildlife and things to do. — Tap a village, a lighthouse or the 4x4 beach to open that guide. Open it full size

Ramp Locations at a Glance

Open to vehicles year-roundVehicles Oct 15 to Apr 14 onlyCurrituck 4x4 area

For the wider picture, including the Currituck 4x4 area north of Corolla, see our sister site OBXmaps and its Outer Banks 4x4 beach access map.

Take it with you. Signal thins out south of Salvo and on the Carova sand. Open our ramp map in Google Maps before you leave the paved road and save it to your phone for offline use.

Why Ramp 48 has no pin. It is the one ramp you cannot reach from NC-12. Under the National Park Service rule it is a spur off the Inside Road, the sand track running between Ramp 44 and Ramp 49, and no source publishes its coordinates. It sits about a mile east of Ramp 49 along South Beach and marks the east end of the drivable Frisco beach: the vehicle-free stretch toward Cape Point begins just past it. It is a priority ramp, open from 6:30 a.m. See the Ramp 48 guide.

Every ORV Ramp, North to South

Ramp numbers run north to south down the seashore. The season column is the rule set by the National Park Service, not today conditions: ramps also close temporarily for bird and turtle nesting, so check the NPS beach access status page before you air down.

Ramp	Island	Nearest village	ORV season	Guide
Ramp 2	Bodie Island	Coquina Beach	ORV ramp; beach north of it is walk-in	Ramp 2 guide
Ramp 4	Bodie Island	Oregon Inlet	Year-round	Ramp 4 guide
Ramp 23	Hatteras Island	Salvo	Oct 15 to Apr 14	Ramp 23 guide
Ramp 25	Hatteras Island	Salvo	Year-round	Ramp 25 guide
Ramp 27	Hatteras Island	Salvo	Year-round	Ramp 27 guide
Ramp 30	Hatteras Island	Salvo	Year-round	Ramp 30 guide
Ramp 32	Hatteras Island	Avon	Year-round	Ramp 32 guide
Ramp 34	Hatteras Island	Avon	Oct 15 to Apr 14	Ramp 34 guide
Ramp 38	Hatteras Island	Avon	Oct 15 to Apr 14	Ramp 38 guide
Ramp 43	Hatteras Island	Buxton	Year-round	Ramp 43 guide
Ramp 44	Hatteras Island	Buxton	Year-round	Ramp 44 guide
Ramp 48	Hatteras Island	Frisco, via Inside Road	Year-round	Ramp 48 guide
Ramp 49	Hatteras Island	Frisco	Year-round	Ramp 49 guide
Ramp 55	Hatteras Island	Hatteras Village	Year-round south; Oct 15 to Apr 14 in front of the village	Ramp 55 guide
Ramp 59	Ocracoke Island	North Ocracoke	Year-round	Ramp 59 guide
Ramp 63	Ocracoke Island	North Ocracoke	Year-round	Ramp 63 guide
Ramp 67	Ocracoke Island	Mid-island	Year-round	Ramp 67 guide
Ramp 68	Ocracoke Island	Ocracoke	Oct 15 to Apr 14	Ramp 68 guide
Ramp 70	Ocracoke Island	Near the airstrip	Year-round	Ramp 70 guide
Ramp 72	Ocracoke Island	South Point	Year-round	Ramp 72 guide

Ramp 2 is an ORV ramp: the route runs two miles south of it, and the beach north of the ramp is walk-on only. Every ramp on this list needs a Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV permit on the windshield.

The Three Jurisdictions

Outer Banks beach driving falls under three different authorities, each with its own rules, permits, and seasons — plus a few towns where beach driving is not allowed at all:

Currituck County (4x4 Area): Year-round driving. A Currituck County beach parking permit is required to stop or park on the 4WD beach during the seasonal permit window. From the end of NC-12 in Corolla to the Virginia line.
Towns of Kill Devil Hills & Nags Head: Seasonal beach driving with a paid town permit, typically Oct 1 – Apr 30 (summer driving prohibited). Town-managed ramps.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore (NPS): Paid ORV permit required year-round. The largest stretch, from Oregon Inlet through Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
No-driving towns: Kitty Hawk, Duck, and Southern Shores prohibit beach driving year-round — no permits are issued.

Northern OBX — Currituck 4x4 Area

The northernmost 11 miles of OBX beach, accessible only by driving on the sand, open year-round. A Currituck County beach parking permit is required to stop or park on the 4WD beach during the seasonal permit window. Home to the wild Corolla mustangs and Penny’s Hill.

Currituck 4x4 Beach Access Hub — overview of the entire 4x4 zone
Corolla NC-12 4x4 Beach Access — main entry point at end of pavement
Swan Beach — first community north of pavement
Penny’s Hill (Lewark’s Hill) — 40 ft active dune
North Swan Beach — between Swan Beach and Carova
Carova Beach — northernmost community on OBX
Corolla Beach Parking Permit — required to stop or park on the 4WD beach

Northern Beach Towns — KDH, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head

These towns allow seasonal beach driving with a paid permit. Permits are typically valid October through April, with summer driving prohibited. Each town has its own rules and ramps.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore — Bodie Island & Pea Island

The northern section of the National Seashore, from Oregon Inlet south to Rodanthe. Requires an NPS ORV permit (10-day or annual).

Cape Hatteras National Seashore — Hatteras Island

The longest stretch of driveable beach on the East Coast. Ramps 23 through 55 cover Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore — Ocracoke Island

Ocracoke is reached by state ferry from Hatteras (free through 2026) (or paid ferry from Cedar Island/Swan Quarter). Ramps 59–72 cover the island.

A sandy footpath cuts through sea oats and low dunes near the Ocracoke Campground under a wide sky. — A sand path through the dunes near the Ocracoke Campground. NPS photo (public domain), via NPGallery.

Planning Resources

KEEP READING

All guides →

Every Ramp on One Map

Carova to Ocracoke

Every ramp, and the permit it needs

Blue is Currituck’s year-round 4x4 area, a hollow ring is a seasonal ramp, green is a Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV permit. Tap any ramp to open its page.

Illustrated Outer Banks 4x4 beach access map showing every ORV ramp from Carova to Ocracoke, color-coded by which permit each one needs, with the four lighthouses painted in. — Tap a ramp for its access page. Open it full size

Outer Banks Beach Driving Map: Every Access Point from Carova to Ocracoke