2013 Off-Road Vehicle Permits For Cape Hatteras National Seashore Go On Sale December 1

Cape Hatteras National Seashore off-road vehicle permit offices will begin issuing the 2013 annual ORV permit on Saturday, December 1, 2012.

The 2013 annual permit, which costs $120 per vehicle, will be valid from the date of purchase through December 31, 2013. The ORV permit offices are open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round except Christmas Day, when they're closed.

Permits can be obtained from any of the Seashore's three permit offices located on:

* Bodie Island at the north end of the Coquina Beach parking lot (8101 NC 12 Highway, Nags Head, NC);

* Hatteras Island by the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Visitor Center (46368 Lighthouse Road, Buxton, NC); or

* Ocracoke Island by the NPS visitor center (40 Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke, NC).

The National Seashore's new ORV Management Plan and final rule became effective in February 2012. The rule designates ORV routes within the Seashore in a manner that will provide a variety of safe visitor experiences, protect and preserve natural and cultural resources, and minimize conflicts among various users.

Under National Park Service general regulations, the operation of motor vehicles off of roads within areas of the National Park System is prohibited unless authorized by special regulation.