Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park

Refuge grounds are open one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. False Cape is open sunrise-sunset and its visitor center is generally open 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; visitors traveling through the refuge must exit within 30 minutes of sunset.

Day visitors use the small Back Bay Visitor Center lot. It fills quickly in summer. False Cape campers and overflow visitors use Little Island City Park; trailers cannot use the refuge lot and Little Island charges seasonally.

There is no public vehicle access to False Cape. Reach it on foot, bicycle, paddle craft or a reserved tram from Back Bay; the land route is about six miles and seasonal trail closures can force travel on soft ocean sand.

Back Bay has visitor-center and selected trailhead facilities. False Cape has a visitor center, pit toilets and primitive campground water arrangements, but no restaurant, laundry, modern campground utilities or dependable facilities along the route.

Back Bay charges $5 per vehicle from April 1 through October 31; hikers and bicyclists enter free and federal passes are accepted. False Cape itself has no day-use entrance fee, but parking, tram tours and camping may charge.

Back Bay provides accessible visitor facilities and a D-Pool fishing platform. False Cape's visitor center is accessible and a beach wheelchair is available, but deep sand, long distances and primitive conditions sharply limit independent mobility.

Pets are never permitted in Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge except service dogs. Although False Cape allows leashed pets, they cannot pass through Back Bay; pet access must be by boat or from the North Carolina boundary.

Back Bay's shorter boardwalks and wildlife overlooks can suit prepared families. The full journey to False Cape is not recommended for young children, inexperienced campers or anyone needing quick emergency medical access.

This remote Sandbridge destination is not practical by ordinary transit. Arrange a vehicle, bicycle, paddle craft or reserved Blue Goose tram and leave a time buffer for the return before sunset.

Swimming, surfing and sunbathing are prohibited on Back Bay Refuge beach. The East Dike Trail is currently the open seasonal dike route; both dike trails close November 1-March 31, leaving beach travel as the land route to False Cape. Bring abundant water, sun and insect protection, and never underestimate distance, heat, soft sand or changing tides.

Check current Hampton Roads weather, surf and rip-current forecasts, tides, wind, heat index, air quality and operator alerts. Thunderstorms, coastal flooding, high water, extreme heat and special events can independently affect roads, beaches, trails, bridges or facilities.