New Season Brings Changes at NPS Visitor Center
If you’ve been to the Ocracoke Visitor Center recently, you have probably noticed some changes taking place.
The inside of the Visitor Center was revamped, giving the Eastern National bookstore and gift shop a fresh and bright new look. A large information desk was also built and will be run by National Park Service employees. Currently, Park employees are operating out of a trailer, but they will soon be transferred to the information and fee desk located within the Ocracoke Visitor Center.
Starting Friday, March 4, 2016, National Park Service fee operations will be housed in the Ocracoke Visitor Center. Off-Road Vehicle Permits, boat dockage fees, fire permits, and parking permits for boaters will all be available at the information desk, and those services will be available seven days week (unless there is a Park closure) from 9am-5pm.
Beginning March 16, those wishing to get an Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Permit with greater ease can do so by going to Recreation.gov and printing off the weekly or annual ORV Permit. This allows the user to obtain a permit seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Charges that were previously added on to Recreation.gov transactions have been eliminated. The Park will no longer charge the additional $4.50 reservation fee or the $6.50 shipping fee.
ORV users can print off their temporary proof of permit, as well as the permit itself. The user will need to tape the permit to the driver’s side of the windshield, and keep the permit displayed at all times while using an ORV on Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Those who purchased an annual permit can display their printed permit for up to 30 days while the annual decal is in transit via the U.S. Mail. Annual ORV Permit holders can expect their permit to arrive between 7-10 days after purchase.
Over time, Cape Hatteras National Seashore expects the print-at-home permitting system and the elimination of fee office trailer rental costs will reduce costs associated with collecting ORV permit fees. Instead, revenue can be spent on improving and maintaining beach access points and facilities, rules and regulation policies, and beach monitoring.
For answers to frequently asked questions, please go to http://go.nps.gov/CAHA/PermitNews
If you're wondering what happened to the interpretive information at the Visitor Center, find out more here.
