Friends of Jockey’s Ridge Awarded Tourism Impact Grant

The Dare County Tourism Board has awarded the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge a Tourism Impact Grant for Fiscal Year 2021/2022 for the Improving Park Mobility Project in the amount of $20,280.00. Tourism Impact Grant awards are designed to fund services that are needed due to the impact of tourism.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park is the most visited state park in North Carolina serving 1.5 – 2 million visitors each year.  It is the tallest natural sand dune on the east coast and offers visitors an opportunity to experience three distinct ecosystems.  It has become even more popular in recent years due to increased tourism and visitation to Dare County and the Outer Banks.  Entrance to Jockey’s Ridge State Park and participation in all visitor programs is free.

This grant award, combined with donations to Friends of Jockey’s Ridge, has allowed Friends of Jockey’s Ridge to fully fund the purchase of a new Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) to be used at Jockey’s Ridge State Park to help support the demands of increased visitation as well as improve visitor experiences.

The new UTV will help park staff support more visitors on a more regular basis.  It will increase availability to provide mobility restricted persons dune rides who would not normally be able to access the main dune area; assist in transporting people, materials, and equipment for park environmental education programs and natural resource projects; support daily maintenance and upkeep of park grounds to ensure a safe, healthy, and clean environment for the enjoyment of the visiting public; and allow for increased daily patrols to engage with visitors and promote health and safety to ensure positive visitor experiences.

The Friends of Jockey’s Ridge thanks the Dare County Tourism Board and The Dare County Board of Commissioners for the award of this Tourism Impact Grant to support safe and enjoyable visitor experiences at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.

Dune rides are available free of charge for visitors with a mobility restriction; dune rides may be requested by calling the Park Office at 252-441-7132 at least 24 hours in advance. Dune rides take approximately 30-45 minutes and are dependent upon weather and staff availability.

Donate here to support Friends of Jockey’s Ridge and Jockey’s Ridge State Park.

For more information on The Dare County Tourism Board and Tourism Impact Grants visit https://www.outerbanks.org/grants/

Featured photo: Robin Hallac, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge