Officials at Cape Lookout National Seashore are asking beach drivers not to try to drive to Shark Island.
A narrow sandbar near the Point of Cape Lookout is outside of the National Park Service’s jurisdiction, but rangers said the sand there is soft, making it difficult to navigate and increasing the risk of getting stuck.
Park officials said visitors have tried to cross to Shark Island during low tide, only to become trapped as the tide rises.
Sometimes those situations have required multiple first responder agencies to conduct complex rescues.
NPS adds that the waters south of Cape Lookout can pose significant dangers due to shifting currents, and people trying to walk through the sand bar can be at risk of being swept away by a rising tide.
They are asking drivers not to cross the "U.S. Boundary NPS" signs and said the area beyond these signs is not part of Cape Lookout National Seashore.
