If you’re planning a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, you may have come across Corolla Beach’s sandy road that can only be traversed by 4×4. A magical place where the black top ends and the wild horse territory begins. Welcome to the most northern beaches of North Carolina! Buckle up and read on for essential tips for driving on Corolla Beach.
Figure out If you Need a Permit
While you don’t need a permit to drive on the beach, you do need one to park. So if you are planning to set up on the beach for a few hours, you may need a permit. Specifically, you’ll need one to park between the end of May (Memorial Day) through early September (Labor Day). The Parking Permit can be purchased online at a cost $50 per week (in 2022) and are sold in limited quantities (300 total permits issued per week). We purchased this 3 weeks in advance. There was 105 left when we got ours online and when we picked up the permit at the Visitor Center they were sold out for our week and the next 2 weeks.
You can then pick it up in person at the Corolla Visitors Center. You’ll need to display this permit in your window, hanging from your rearview mirror. With it, you’ll receive instructions for driving on Corolla Beach, which can also be found on the reverse side of the permit.
Planning to do some beach fishing? You’ll need a permit for that too. You can purchase your North Carolina recreational fishing license online, or at most Tackle stores in NC. A 10-day pass for residents is $6 and $11 for non-residents (prices for 2022).
Pack Appropriately for the Day
If you’ll be driving on Corolla Beach, why not spend the day (be sure to pick up a parking pass as described above)! And if you do, be sure to pack for it!
First and foremost, we recommend taking a shovel and some old deck boards which will come in handy should you get stuck in the sand. The wood will provide you some traction to drive off once you’ve unburied your tires. This site has a great breakdown of steps to follow should you get stuck in the sand.
Now for the fun stuff! Here are some of the items we recommend packing:
- BYOTB (Bring Your Own Trash Bag)
- snacks and beverages (be sure to pick up some local fare on your drive in)
- beach chairs
- plastic-free beach games
- reef-safe sunscreen
- towels
- sunshade
Check out these other tips for an eco-friendly visit to the beach.
Prepare Your Vehicle for Driving on Corolla Beach
As you start to approach Corolla Beach, there are few actions you should take in preparation for driving your vehicle on the sand.
Firstly, as you come upon Currituck Lighthouse on your left, you’ll see signs for the ‘Mandatory Air Down’ station on your right. You’ll turn right onto Corolla Village Road where you can pull over to remove air from your tires. That’s right, down to 20 PSI for SUV’s & <1/2 ton 4×4 (35 PSI for >1/2 ton 4×4). Releasing the air from your tires increases their surface area, improving the vehicle’s grip on the soft sand.
Secondly, you’ll want to make sure you fill up your tank. The last pumps before you hit the sandy road are just up the road on your left. There are NO fuel stations past this point.
Lastly, make sure your vehicle is in 4-wheel drive (4WD) as you approach and enter the beach ramp. As you hit the sand, you should be moving at a speed of 35 mph and you shouldn’t stop.
Driving on the Beach
As you round the bend at the northern end of Highway 12, the Currituck Banks Maritime Forest Trail Head (an excellent nature trail) marks the start of the North Beach Access Road. WELCOME!
You’ll continue to drive along a paved road for another half mile before the sandy road lay before you. As you approach the sandy horizon, make sure your vehicle is in 4-wheel drive (4WD). THIS IS YOUR FINAL REMINDER – if you are not driving a 4×4/4WD vehicle you may get stuck in the sand.
Stay to the right as there may be cars coming off at the same time as you. Maintain a slow speed, around 35mph, as you hit the sand and make your way to the left (while staying right – the rules of the road still apply here). You’ll notice the first 1.5 miles of the beach is baren, other than any moving vehicles. It is prohibited to park in this area as traffic tends to be high with vehicles moving on and off the beach.
It’s important to note that while the speed limit on the beach is 35 mph, it drops to 15 mph if you are withing 300 feet of a person.
Going Over the Dunes
As you drive along the beach, you’ll notice roof tops peeking out from behind the dunes. There are entire communities up here! Each cluster of homes is accessible by a designated opening that crosses over the dunes. If you’re feeling bold enough to venture back into these neighborhoods, it’s worth it!
The neighborhood accesses are marked along the dunes. Once you choose the one you would like to enter, approach the access with your speed increasing as elevation does. This is not for the faint of heart, drive with confidence and keep the tires rotating. The sand is soft and could be deep, so your vehicle should not stop moving while going over the dune. Otherwise, you risk getting stuck! You’ll also need to be cautious of oncoming traffic in the narrower passages.
4×4/4WD Neighborhoods
Once you’ve traversed the dune, you’ve made it into some of the most unique neighborhoods you’ll ever see! The streets are labelled as any other, but the roads are paths of soft sand, rolling dunes and coastal vegetation. There are houses of all shapes and sizes back here.
As you venture further west (away from the beach) you come into much harder packed roads which are less stressful to drive on. Here, off the beaten track, is normally where we come across the wild horses. Stay a while and take in this thoroughly unique environment.
Once you are ready to head back to the beach, be aware of traffic on the other side of the dunes. They are tall enough that you can’t see over them as you approach. Follow the tracks and re-enter the beach traffic as you did when you first arrived on the beach.
We met a couple on the beach, who recently bought a property in the 4×4 neighborhoods. In speaking with them, they explained that during their first visit, they got stuck and needed a tow. It was a hefty $800 tow job. This is why we stress airing down tires and using a 4×4.
Respect the Wildlife
While driving on Corolla Beach there is strong potential that you’ll encounter some form of wildlife. The main players here are the wild horses, and of course, beach birds. But sea turtles are also known to spend time on these beaches. While you may not encounter a sea turtle, you may very well encounter a nest between the months of May and September.
The main rules for enjoying the wildlife here (and anywhere really) are:
- DO NOT FEED the wildlife
- MAINTAIN a safe distance
Wild Horses – the horses you’ll (hopefully) spot along the water, beach and dunes are decedents of a herd of Spanish mustangs that were brought over during exploration expeditions of the new world in the 1500s. The closely monitored and managed population of about 100 horses roam free around thousands of wooded acres.
Sea Turtles – every year, hundreds of sea turtles crawl onto North Carolina’s beaches to build a nest and lay their eggs between the months of May and July. The most common nesting species on the Outer Banks is the loggerhead, with the occasional green sea turtle. Every year, all along the coast, volunteers set out in the early hours to look for turtle tracks in hopes of locating a nest. Once identified, the nests are staked and marked to notify passersby of its location. It’s important not to approach or disrupt these nests, and let them incubate for the 50-80 day period that will (hopefully) produce a healthy bale of 75-150 hatchlings.
Shorebirds – there are several species of shorebird that reside and visit the beaches of North Carolina throughout the year. While most of them are keen to take flight before the average person gets too near, some of them are a little bolder and will approach beach goers in possession of food. Like all wildlife, they can be aggressive and dangerous so be sure to keep a distance, regardless of how approachable they may seem.
Returning To Terra Firma
The parking areas along the beach return to ‘driving only’ lanes after dark. So unfortunately, you can’t spend the night up here. If you set up shop on the beach, you’ll want to pack everything up before you head back to civilization. And if you were so keen to dig a hole or build a sandcastle, be sure to level the sand off for the safety of night drivers. #leavenotrace
The first thing you’ll want to do once you’ve returned to the paved road, is air up your tires. There are free air stations available at the Whalehead Club.
If you won’t have a 4×4 vehicle during your stay but you want to experience a drive on Corolla Beach, accented by wild horses, you can book a trip with one of the local wild horse tour companies. Looking for a place to stay in the Outer Banks? Check out these hotels. or this Pirate Themed Airbnb.
Sticking around for a few days? Why not go on an OBX Scavenger Hunt?
Interesting adventure.
However, I wonder about the environmental impact of allowing driving on the beach — in other parts of the US and the World such is prohibited, due to contamination (vehicle exhaust, leaking oil and other fluids into the sand; the noise and pollution effects on wildlife — especially when there are sea turtle nesting grounds present).
All great points Lorraine! The area is heavily patrolled by local authorities and wildlife agencies. There is no lack of attention when it comes to the importance of preserving the natural integrity of the beaches here and fines are hefty. The beach actually provides access to the communities in the area and is treated as a proper road so the wildlife have become accustomed to the traffic, as they have been forced to do along regular roads. Appreciate the comment!
This is a great informative post, many people drive on beaches here in Australia…but it is becoming less with possibly the exception of Fraser Island which is essentially a Sand Island…I do like that there are posts for the wildlife also…
Can’t say that nature reclaiming it’s territory is a bad thing either Jeanine! No doubt it will happen here at some point as well.
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