Jockey's Ridge State Park
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed, with restrictions6-ft leash
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- ncparks.gov(252) 573-6108
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Jockey's Ridge State Park is a park in Dare County, in Nags Head.
The park supports surfing, canoeing and kayaking, swimming, hiking, and picnicking. On the water side, there is a swimming beach.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other — January | Daily | 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. | — |
| Other — March | Daily | 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. | — |
| Other — May | Daily | 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. | — |
| Other — October | Daily | 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. | — |
| Park | The park is closed on Christmas Day. The park is open during all other holidays. | ||
| Other — January | Daily | 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. | — |
| Visitor center | Daily | 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | — |
Official wording
January: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
February: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
March: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
May: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
June: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
July: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
August: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
September: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
October: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
November: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
December: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The park is closed on Christmas Day. The park is open during all other holidays.
January: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
February: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
May: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
June: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
July: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
August: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
September: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
October: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
November: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The park is closed on Christmas Day. The park is open during all other holidays.
Visitor Center: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Fees and passes
Free entry at most parks ('Most state parks are free to enter'); per-vehicle day-use fees at the reservoir SRAs (Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, Kerr Lake) and fees for swimming, boat launches, rentals, ferries and camping.
Statewide fee rule from North Carolina's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
North Carolina park passes
- Annual Pass for Reservoirs — $70 Details
- Annual Pass — $100 Details
- Annual Pass with 4WD Beach Access — $200. Annual Pass benefits plus four-wheel-drive beach access Details
From the North Carolina state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveAmerica (northcarolinastateparks.reserveamerica.com)
- Phone
- 1-877-722-6762
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed, with restrictions · leash up to 6 feet
Not allowed in or on: buildings.
Pets are allowed at the park, except they are not permitted inside buildings. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Camping
There are no camping facilities at Jockey's Ridge. The closest state park with camping is Pettigrew State Park.
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
HikingPicnickingCanoeing and kayakingSwimmingSurfing
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boardwalk Trail | 0.1 mi | Easy | 0.1-mile one way; Blaze: noneHiking only |
| Tracks in the Sand Trail | 1.2 mi | Moderate | 1.2-mile loop; Blaze: noneHiking only |
| Sounside Nature Trail | 0.6 mi | Easy | 0.6-mile loop; Blaze: noneHiking only |
Trail descriptions from the park
Hiking Trails: Open
Boardwalk Trail (0.1-mile one way; Blaze: none), Easy, Hiking only
Tracks in the Sand Trail (1.2-mile loop; Blaze: none), Moderate, Hiking only
Sounside Nature Trail (0.6-mile loop; Blaze: none), Easy, Hiking only
Swimming
Swimming
Boating and paddling
Paddling
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
- Picnic shelters
- Visitor center
- Nature center or museum
Water
- Swimming beach
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- 300 W. Carolista Drive
Nags Head, NC 27959 - Nearest town
- Nags Head
- Coordinates
- 35.9642, -75.6330
- Phone
- (252) 573-6108
- jockeys.ridge@ncparks.gov
Entrances
- Main Access and Visitor Center — 300 W. Carolista Drive, Nags Head, NC 27959
- Soundside Access — 330 W. Soundside Road, Nags Head, NC 27959
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- North Carolina State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- NC State Parks 'Catalog: Find a State Park Access' (paged Drupal view, ?page=0..6)
- Wikidata
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology