A one-page reference for vacation home guests heading to the Outer Banks 4×4 beach. Print this page or save it to your phone before you arrive. Read the full guide here.
Before You Arrive
- Confirm your vehicle. If your rental house is in Carova, Swan Beach, North Swan Beach, or Penny’s Hill, you need a real 4WD vehicle — not an AWD crossover. Beach4x4 in Kill Devil Hills rents them by the week from $1,338. Call 252-715-1957 or book at beach4x4.com.
- Check the tide chart. Plan your arrival for the 2–3 hour window around low tide. The TIDERUNNER app is the local standard.
- Stock up in Corolla. Grocery, water, beach gear — get it before the pavement ends. The closest store to your house may be 20 minutes of sand driving away.
- Save the Beach4x4 phone number. 252-715-1957 — useful if you get stuck or have a question on the beach.
Driving Onto the Beach
- Air down to 18–20 PSI at the public access on Corolla Village Road before the ramp. There are free air-down stations.
- Put the vehicle in 4-Hi before you reach the sand.
- Do not stop on the ramp or in the first mile of sand. Keep moving steadily.
- Drive on the hard-packed sand near the ocean at low tide. At high tide, follow existing ruts at the dune line.
- Watch your speed: 15 mph within 300 feet of pedestrians, animals, or horses. 35 mph maximum where the beach is empty.
If You Get Stuck
- Stop. Don’t spin the tires — you’ll dig deeper.
- Confirm you’re in 4WD (not 2WD, not AWD).
- Try reversing slowly out of the same tracks you came in on.
- If still stuck: dig sand out from under the chassis until clearance is restored.
- Shift into 4-Lo and try again with steady, low throttle.
- If still stuck: call us at 252-715-1957 — we’ll talk you out or send help.
Permits, Speed Limits & Rules
- Currituck County (Carova area): Driving is free. Parking requires a county permit (your rental house provides one or two; we include one with every Beach4x4 rental).
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore (south): Separate ORV permit required for driving and parking. We include one with every rental if you’re heading south.
- Wild horses: Federal law requires 50 feet of distance. $500 fine for getting closer. Slow to 15 mph within 300 feet.
- Dunes: Driving on dunes is illegal and damages protected vegetation. Use only marked access roads to cross the dune line.
- Sunset: Remove all vehicles and belongings from the beach at sunset — the entire beach becomes a driving lane after dark.
Returning Home
- Air back up at the county air-up stations near the Corolla ramp before driving on pavement. Driving on pavement with deflated tires damages tires and can damage the vehicle.
- Returning to Beach4x4: We’re in Kill Devil Hills, about 45 minutes south of the ramp. Open every day 7am–8pm. Bring the vehicle back at any time within those hours.
- Leave the parking permit on the vehicle — we re-use it for the next guest.
Contact
Beach4x4
Kill Devil Hills, NC
252-715-1957
beach4x4.com
Open 7 days a week, 7am–8pm
Want a printable copy? Use your browser’s Print function (Ctrl+P / ⌘+P) to save this page as a PDF or print it directly. Better yet, save the page to your phone’s home screen for offline reference on the beach.