The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management announced on May 22 that a mobile-friendly, interactive map is now available to help residents and visitors locate public beach and waterfront access sites along the state’s coast.
The new tool aims to make it easier for people to find more than 800 local, state, and federally funded public access points to ocean beaches and estuarine waters in North Carolina. As summer approaches, the department said the resource is designed to support both tourism and community recreation by providing up-to-date information about amenities at each site.
The online map features several tools including ‘My Location,’ which allows users to pinpoint their current location for best results if location sharing is enabled. The ‘Near Me’ tool helps users search for access sites within one to ten miles of a selected spot, while filters allow searches based on amenities such as restrooms or showers. Users can also switch between different basemap styles like satellite imagery or street maps.
According to the announcement, the Division of Coastal Management has provided funding through its Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program since 1981. The program has awarded 538 grants totaling over $56.7 million for projects that improve pedestrian access, including walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, piers, land acquisition efforts, and urban waterfront revitalization projects.
Residents with questions or comments about specific sites are encouraged to contact Rachel Love-Adrick at Rachel.love-adrick@deq.nc.gov with details about their inquiry.