Southern Shores lack of beach access??

So, I%26#39;ve read here that Southern Shores does not have public beach access? Can someone tell me how far we would have to travel to get to a good beach? Then would I be expected to have to pay?

Southern Shores lack of beach access??

From Southern Shores, the closest beaches with a public access will be in Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills. There is no fee to use any of the OBX beaches, and no beach badges either. Where are you staying as there are also some beautiful beaches to the north in Duck. Depending on where in So Shores you are staying, you may want to venture north, too.

Southern Shores lack of beach access??

Are you planning on renting a place in the Southern Shores Community? Unless something has changed in the last year, you can go to the beach in Southern Shores. I would check with your rental company.

We have enjoyed the beach there many years.

I don%26#39;t believe there are any parking lots providing a place to leave your car and access the beach. If that%26#39;s what they mean by ';public access';, then it%26#39;s true that there isn%26#39;t any.

But if you are staying in Southern Shores, all you will need to do is walk from your house to a public walkway up and over the dunes. There are plenty of these every few blocks.

Thanks for the responses. Maybe I was reading a really old post about there not being any public beaches in So. Shores. No, we haven%26#39;t committed to any place just yet, but are looking at a house on Deer Path Lane, on the canal. So, how far is the walk to the public beach? I wasn%26#39;t too concerend about being back away from the ocean as long as we could drive to the beach relatively quickly. But now some say, that if we have to drive, we won%26#39;t be able to park???? This is getting frustrating. So how far is the walk?

Sprocket,

True, parking would be difficult and just a pain to deal with.

I would check with the rental agency, they should be able to provide you with that info. Also,try their website as they may have an online property map that you could look at now.

There%26#39;s a beach for people staying in So. Shores. So it%26#39;s not a public beach; it%26#39;s a private beach for SS people. See if the house has bicycles. Look here for a description of each of several of the OBX communitiies to give you a better idea...click on the community name and then on ';map';.

www.resortquestouterbanks.com/communities.htm

There are several beach parking areas for people staying in Southern Shores. You should get a pass from the realtor to put on your dashboard. It should also allow you onto the soundside beach. I would make sure to get there early. If you are staying oceanside or on the avenues you will be in walking distance. Otherwise, it is not really walkable. Hopefully you are renting through Southern Shores Realty. On their site they have detailed maps of all the houses and beach parking lots.

Oh, I%26#39;m having so much fun with SS Realty site:) I used to love a few other companies%26#39; sites but they%26#39;ve changed. It looks like SS has too...for the better.

Sprocket, if you go to the site Barb mentioned..and SS, Section one...well, this should take you there:

southernshores.com/maps/southernshores/five

And then look at #492 because it%26#39;s an aerial photo that will give you an idea of house relationship to beach and how the boarwalking goes over the dunes since they are protected and cannot be trampled on.

Thanks so much everybody! It can be so confusing for an outsider who%26#39;s never been before. After hearing from all of you, I don%26#39;t think we%26#39;ll have any problem finding a beach to swim at, (or a place to park). Yes, we were looking at a Southern Shores Realty property, but I think at this point we will continue to look at some others before we decide for certain. Thanks for your help!

Sprocket,

You may want to consider visitng the websites of Twiddy and/or Carolina Designs and begin looking ta places in Duck (just a few miles north of Southern Shores) or even up in Ocean Sands (about 8 miles further north). Southern Shores is okay, but the beach and the layout of the homes is not as nice as further north or even further south. It%26#39;s one of those places I never hear anyone vote for as their favorite at the Banks.

Duck is an excellent spot, close to a lot of shops and restaurants. The only down side is that the sand seems a bit rough on the feet the past 5 years or so (same is true of Southern Shores) and the drop off at the water is very quick, no gentle slope meaning little kids may find it hard to get much past the edge of the water before it%26#39;s too deep.

Ocean Sands or even further up into Corolla is where the best of the northern beaches are (there are also some nice beaches further south towards Hatteras). It%26#39;s a little more remote up there, but the houses are nice, the sand is soft and the drop-off is much gentler. And these days, the area has a Food Lion nearby and a number of shops and restaurants making it as nice as any place at the Banks. It%26#39;s only an additional 20 minutes north of Southern Shores.

Just an opinion to consider based on my 15 years spent in various places at the Banks. Hope that helps.