Ocracoke Island is a 14-mile-long island that is one of the most remote areas of North Carolina's vast Outer Banks. Although State Highway 12 runs along its entire length, Ocracoke can only be reached by ferry, either from the south end or the north end. The island is protected national seashore land with very little development other than a campground and a tiny town at the southern end with a population of under 1,000. The isolation and low density makes it ideal for nudity.

The closest thing to an established nude beach on Ocracoke is the 2-mile-long off-roading zone at Ramp 67, which is the longest of three off-roading zones on the island. A number of off-roaders strip down and sunbathe nude, often using their vehicles as privacy shields. Discretion is recommended to avoid offending the sensibilities of non-nudist off-roaders. While ranger patrols seem infrequent, cover up if you see a ranger.

Most nude bathers drive on the beach and pick their spots. If you do this, you should have a four-wheel-drive vehicle and be familiar with driving in the sand. (You can get tips online here and here.) The northeastern end of the off-roading zone is preferable since the southwestern end is close to the campground. If you don't have a suitable off-roading vehicle, you can park at the pinpointed lot and walk southwest at least half a mile to find sufficiently isolated areas for discreet nudity near the boundary of the off-roading area.

If you are arriving from the north via Hatteras Island, the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry departs every hour or half hour (depending on the season) from 5:00 am until midnight and is free. If you are arriving from the mainland to the ferry terminal in Ocracoke town, ferry service is far more limited and reservations are required, the ride is much longer (over 2 hours) and the rates start at $15 per vehicle.

Ferry information 1      Ferry information 2

VISUAL RESOURCES

GPS: 35.1378, -75.8912

city, county, state, country  Ocracoke, Hyde, North Carolina, U.S.A.

classification  3 (discretion recommended)

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