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Photo by Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What it costs
| 10-day permit | $50 |
| Annual permit (1 yr from purchase) | $120 |
There's no weekly option — if you only need a few days on the sand, the 10-day permit is the one to buy. Prices are set by the National Park Service and confirmed current for 2026.
Where to buy it
Buy online anytime at Recreation.gov — watch a short mandatory safety video, pay, and print or save your proof-of-permit. Or buy in person at one of three NPS permit offices, open 8am–4:30pm daily (closed Christmas Day):
- Hatteras Island Visitor Center — near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton, the closest office to Avon
- Bodie Island Visitor Center — Nags Head, near Coquina Beach
- Ocracoke Visitor Center — across the ferry on Ocracoke Island
Bring your driver's license and vehicle registration either way. If you buy online but can't print the proof-of-permit, a self-certification card is available at visitor centers and many local tackle shops — fill in your permit details, sign it, and display it on the dash.
Vehicle & driving requirements
🛞 Your vehicle
- True 4WD required — low-range gearing recommended
- Air down tires to roughly 20 psi for traction (a tire deflator gauge and portable 12V compressor to reinflate make this painless)
- Standard 2WD cars, minivans, and most crossovers will get stuck
- Carry a shovel, tow strap, jack & jack board / traction boards, and a spare
📋 On the sand
- Stay on marked ORV routes only; never drive on dunes or vegetation
- Speed limit is 15 mph (slower near people, pets & wildlife)
- Park perpendicular to the water, mid-beach
- Stay 50+ ft from any wildlife
- Sections close seasonally for nesting birds & sea turtles — check the daily NPS ramp status
Closest ramps to Lucky Landing
Cape Hatteras National Seashore maintains numbered ORV ramps up and down the island. From Avon, the ones you'll use most:
- Ramp 34 — just north in Salvo. Wide, firm sand and relatively few crowds; a good pick for first-time beach drivers.
- Ramp 38 — the closest to Lucky Landing, just south of Avon. Quieter, and a favorite for surf fishing and long beach walks.
- Ramp 43 — near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton, if you're pairing a beach day with a lighthouse visit. Also the primary access to Cape Point, one of the island's best-known surf fishing spots.
- Ramp 44 — just south of Ramp 43, also near Buxton; the alternate access to Cape Point when 43 is busy or closed.
Photo: National Park Service, public domain