Sandy Bay Sound Access

Sandy Bay is a basic day-use beach access on Hatteras Island, with a narrow soundside beach and a separate ocean beach across NC-12. Its appeal is the choice: one stop gives you two different shorelines without moving the car. Here, the barrier island is only a few hundred feet wide between Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic.

A short path from the lot reaches a thin strip of beach on Pamlico Sound, with sand and grass mixed along the edge. The water is shallow, and the site is also identified for swimming and launching a canoe, kayak, or small boat. For the Atlantic, cross NC-12 at the boardwalk and continue over the dunes. From the grass-framed opening, the sound and its narrow beach make a simple, place-specific photo.

The access sits off NC-12 south of Frisco, near milepost 69.5. The lot has 26 regular parking spaces. This is a basic day-use stop rather than a full-service beach: restroom and drinking-water facilities are not listed. Park in the designated lot instead of the sandy shoulder, where cars can get stuck.