Park Facts
•Medano – large hill of shifting sand that lacks vegetation
•Park contains 10.3 million yd3 of sand
•Park covers 414 acres
•Dune height varies from 110-140 feet
•Important tourist attraction: hosts more than 900,000 tourists each year
•Tourist activities: Hang Gliding, Kite Flying, Hiking, etc.
Jockey’s Ridge is on the Move•Wind has caused the park to migrate•Direction of wind shifts throughout year
•Summer: wind from the SW•Winter and Fall: from the NE
Predominant direction of Migration: Park is moving to the SW
Management Issues
•Development – North of the park has cut off the source of new sand
•Migration of the dune field outside the limits of the Park:Entrepreneurs hauling away sand for commercial useEncroachment onto Neighbors’ property
•Human impacts: Recreational activities
Management Solutions
•Do Nothing – not really a solution
•Haul sand away on a regular basis – 50,000 yd3 could be moved every five years from the S-end and put on the N-end
•Vegetate the Dune:Entire dune fieldSouthern end of the Park
•Sand Fences
Problems with Management Options
•Hauling Sand away is expensive and would have to be done on a regular basis
•Vegetating the dune field would stabilize the system but would defeat the purpose of having an active dune
•Sand fences and old Christmas trees emplaced along S-end ofpark have been covered with migrating sand
Wright Brothers Memorial in nearby KillDevil Hills once had a migratingdune.