New boardwalk project underway at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, seen during First Day Hike
- Corinne Saunders
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Participants at the First Day Hike at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head walk by pilings in the sand on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2025. The new boardwalk is under construction and will be much longer than the longstanding one. (Photo by Corinne Saunders)
By Corinne Saunders
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NAGS HEAD — The 46 people and four dogs participating in the First Day Hike at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head on a chilly, blustery Thursday morning got a first glimpse of what will become the new park boardwalk.
The former 360-foot boardwalk is closed to the public as the 1,600-foot boardwalk, which replaces and significantly extends the boardwalk, is under construction.
Park Ranger Scott Coffman, who led the hike, said the new boardwalk will hopefully “be wrapped up by Easter.”
Pilings extend to the flat area at the base of the dunes by the Mountains-to-Sea Trail end marker.
Pilings extend to the flat area at the base of the dunes by the Mountains-to-Sea Trail end marker at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, as seen on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Saunders)
Coffman said that every state park offered some sort of First Day Hike, which kicks off the new year.
Participants, representing a mix of locals and visitors, convened outside the visitor center at 10 a.m. They were provided with First Day Hike stickers if they wanted them, and could view the first known photo of a bobcat captured at the park by a motion-sensing camera.
Temperatures were in the mid-40s, and a west wind visibly moved sand across the top of the dunes.
Coffman shared some general information about the park, such as how it is the only state park that moves, with the dunes constantly changing. He estimated that the highest dune currently stands around 70 feet tall.
The 50-year celebration of Jockey’s Ridge State Park took place in June 2025.
He said that 8,000-12,000 people a day routinely visit Jockey’s Ridge State Park during the summer months.
Coffman also mentioned the recent restoration of area of environmental concern (AEC) status for Jockey’s Ridge, which the nonprofit Friends group—which supports the park—applauded in a Dec. 30 public statement.
Outer Banks Insider broke the news of the AEC reinstatement on Dec. 19. The redesignation came after over two years of contention at the state level.
Above: Pilings extend to the flat area at the base of the dunes by the Mountains-to-Sea Trail end marker at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. The southernmost piling is seen with orange cones around it (upper left). First Day Hike participants walk downhill as the wind blows sand across the dunes on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2025. Below: More scenes from the First Day Hike. (Photos by Corinne Saunders)
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