Lifeguarded Beach

Ocracoke's lifeguarded beach sits within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, on the Atlantic side of the island: reachable only by ferry, the free hour-long run from Hatteras village or the longer toll crossings from Cedar Island or Swan Quarter on the mainland. National Park Service lifeguards are on duty here daily from 8am to 8pm, making it the one stretch of Ocracoke's shoreline with official supervision rather than open, unguarded sand.

• Lifeguards on duty: 8am–8pm, seven days a week
• Access: part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore; no bridge or road connects Ocracoke to the mainland, so plan around the ferry schedule
• Good to know: hurricane season runs June through November, with the highest risk August through October, and ferry service can be suspended on short notice during storms