Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV Ramp 55

Ramp 55 is one of the numbered ORV and pedestrian beach-access points the National Park Service maintains along Cape Hatteras National Seashore, dropping you from the parking area straight onto the open Atlantic beach in the Hatteras village area. Unlike a standard beach parking lot, ramps like this one are built for vehicle access as well as foot traffic — a defining feature of Hatteras Island, where 4x4 beach driving is permitted on much of the shoreline in a way it isn't on the core Outer Banks beaches to the north.

• Vehicle access requires a current Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV permit from the NPS; pedestrians and non-motorized beachgoers don't need one.
• Like every ramp on this stretch, conditions can change with storms, erosion, or wildlife closures — check the NPS page for Ramp 55 before you go.
• NC-12, the single road connecting the Hatteras Island villages, is also prone to washouts during storms, so it's worth checking road status along with beach access.