Western Ocean Regional Access — Attraction in Emerald Isle

This is my normal access when I go to walk the beach in the evenings. It easy to get to, parking spots are pretty wide, and lot is always fairly clean. They have restrooms, outdoor showers to rinse off all of the sand, drink machine's (but do get "sold out" on the regular), volleyball courts(2), and a covered deck area that overlooks the ocean for those who don't want to be in the sun or the sand. I normally only go on the weekdays, after 4 on the weekends/holidays, or after the summer season because I don't like paying to park. The beach can get a little crowded during the summer, especially on weekends and holidays. It is a lifeguarded beach during the daytime hours during the summer months. They also have live music on Thursday evenings in the grassy area at the front of the boardwalk. My only complaint is that they don't have a place to hook up a water hose for washing off your doggys after they've played in the water and sand and come out covered from head to toe in sand and salt...the showers do give some assistance, but the lower shower heads are too low and don't pivot enough to rinse the underside of your pets, plus they don't stay spraying unless you're holding the nozzle, so it's a major headache trying to get your dog even somewhat cleaned off. It is a dog friendly beach, but there is a leash law and your pets must be on leash and under your control at all times. You WILL get ticketed by the police for violating these rules! Also, there's like 3 different receptacles along the boardwalk with doggy poo bags to clean up after your pets, which is great that they provide you with the essentials needed to be a responsible dog owner, it's too bad that people can't take those essentials and actually be responsible dog owner's 😔 The park/access lot is open until dark, but that can be confusing because there's no set time schedule for when the gate will be locked. I've seen police come through at 8pm, and I've seen them at 9:15pm coming to lock the gate. If you're car is parked in the lot and they close and lock the gate, idk what happens?? They should have some sort of time schedule so that people have a better understanding of when to be out of there by... unfortunately, a tornado that was spawned from Hurricane Dorian last week, September 5th, came through right beside the access park, destroying a multitude of RV's/trailer home's and wreaking havoc in that area, has caused the town to have to close down the access park until further notice. The destruction was strewn all over the road that leads to the park and due to cleanup going on, they've had to close it. Which is very unfortunate... hopefully everything will be as close to normal as...

Parking is $4/hr or $20 a day. For those of us that are local this hurts a little. We go less often now. It used to be free Mon-Thurs. You must pay now everyday April 1st through Sept 17th. 8am-6pm. Despite this, we visit the beach most often ar this access. There are lifeguards on duty until 6pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This is a little peace of mind, especially when you go to the beach with little ones. There are fairly nice bathrooms and they are cleaned regularly, and outdoor showers. There areas with covered picnic tables and 2 sand volleyball courts. The beach is usually clean and any trash is due to the human trash that are too lazy to clean up after themselves, since the entire length of the beach has a trash can and recycle bin every 20-30 feet attached to post along the dunes line. There is no excuse for leaving trash on the beach. These cans are emptied very regularly and I have never seen them over flowing. There is a ramp down to the beach which can accommodate wagons and wheelchairs. There are also areas to view the beach from the decking so you can sit and view without going on to the beach or into the sand. The beach can be very busy even if the parking lot is not full. There are condos next to the access as well as a campground and motel. The best part, the town has live cameras on the beach and the parking lot. You can view live at anytime the beach conditions and if the parking...

On any given sunny day you’ll find us here. Great price for parking, one of the lowest in the nearby beaches, and extended months for free parking. Plenty of spaces; rarely (on holidays mostly) have we seen every single space full. The staff are kind and on top of cleaning and keeping things in stock. There are steps or a ramp to the beach, which can be helpful with lots of gear, kids, or mobility concerns. Several handicap parking spots up front. Two gendered bathrooms with multiple stalls each and a changing stall. Outdoor shower heads above head and at feet heights. Covered picnic tables/ benches, and a covered area closer to the beach. Lifeguards, when on duty, are attentive (seen them in action with rescues) and friendly. Watch out for the ocean area right in front of the lifeguard stand that tends to have a strong pull out, whether or not there are rip...