You are here

Cape Lookout National Seashore Officials Pick Beaufort Location For Ferry Service

Share

Cape Lookout National Seashore officials have selected a new location in Beaufort, North Carolina, to base a ferry service serving Shackleford Banks and the Cape Lookout area of the national seashore.

However, the new service won't be operating until 2014 as the seashore still has to solicit bids for a concessionaire to run the ferry.

Superintendent Pat Kenney last week announced that the Park Service has selected the Beaufort Front Street site as the departure location for the passenger ferry service from the Beaufort and Morehead City area to the Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout areas of the national seashore.

The Beaufort site was identified as the preferred alternative in the Passenger Ferry Departure Site Environmental Assessment and Assessment of Effect that was released for public comment on March 1, 2011.

The Beaufort Front Street ferry departure site and facilities will be provided under a partnership agreement with the Town of Beaufort. Located at the new Beaufort Town Hall (the former Post Office Building) and Grayden Paul Park, this site will provide park visitors with a  single departure gateway experience that integrates directional signage to the ferry, drop-off zones, parking, accessible visitor facilities  and vessels, and consistent information about the park.

The ferry service will be provided by a business operator authorized under a long-term contract with the NPS, which will help ensure consistent visitor access to the seashore, and will bring the management of ferry service into conformity with the NPS Concessions Management Act of 1998.

"We are very pleased and grateful to be able to partner with the Town of Beaufort," said Superintendent Kenney." The NPS ferry gateway will integrate well with the Beaufort waterfront, and with the town's help, visitors will  be able to expect superlative experiences as they visit the national seashore."

It is anticipated that a request for proposals for the ferry service contract will be released in the spring of 2013, and that the ferry service will operate under contract in 2014.

Comments

Finally an easy way to get to Cape Lookout.
This is the only National Park Unit in North Carolina that I still have not visited.
Do I want to wait until 2014?
Danny


You could head up the road to Harker's Island and catch one of the ferries from there. Easy and quick.


Until the new ferry service is available, the NPS maintains a list of ferries authorized to provide service to the park: http://www.nps.gov/calo/planyourvisit/ferry.htm


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.