On August 15, 1973, Nags Head artist Carolista Baum famously stood in the path of a bulldozer that was removing sand from Jockey's Ridge. She had been alerted of the bulldozer activity by her three children, who had been playing on the dune, as they did every day. When Baum resolutely refused to move, the bulldozer operator gave up for the day.
At the time, Jockey’s Ridge was just a sand dune in Nags Head, a much-loved natural feature that was completely unprotected from development. Local organizations had discussed protecting the expansive dune system from encroaching development, but nothing much happened until Baum’s initial protest and a lot of follow-up work to finally protect the dunes.
Baum co-founded the group People to Preserve Jockey's Ridge, holding fundraising campaigns and starting a petition to get state lawmakers and local officials to pay attention to the need to protect Jockey’s Ridge.
And it worked. In 1973 the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation released a report advocating for the preservation of Jockey's Ridge as a state park. In 1974 Jockey’s Ridge was designated a National Natural Landmark. In 1975 the N.C. General Assembly allocated the funds to the preserve of the dunes as Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
Photo above: Kite festivals are popular at Jockey's Ridge State Park. Kitty Hawk Kites' Rogallo Kite Festival is coming up on June 6 and 7. Photo courtesy Friends of Jockey's Ridge State Park
Photo: A historic marker along U.S. Highway 158 (Croatan Highway) and Carolista Drive in Nags Head credits Carolista Baum as the environmental activist who saved Jockey’s Ridge.
Fifty years later, Jockey’s Ridge State Park is one of the state’s most popular parks, drawing more than 1.2 million visitors a year to the tallest living sand dune on the East Coast. The 426-acre park is perfect for hang gliding, kite flying, sandboarding, hiking, wildlife watching, sightseeing, sunset watching, playing on the dunes and swimming and watersports in the sound. The park offers picnic shelters, a visitor center, a museum, an auditorium, programs, hiking trails, a boardwalk and a soundside beach.
Climb to the top of Jockey's Ridge State Park, home to the tallest living sand dune on the East Coast, and you can see both the Atlantic Ocean and Roanoke Sound, perfect for sunrise and sunset viewing. Photo courtesy Friends of Jockey's Ridge State Park
Jockey's Ridge State Park 50th Anniversary Celebration
June 5 to 8
Jockey’s Ridge State Park is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and to honor the milestone, The Friends of Jockey’s Ridge is throwing a four-day celebration with live music, free educational and recreational programs, homecoming events, sunset toasts, kayak and canoe tours and more.
The Friends of Jockey’s Ridge is a nonprofit organization that supports and helps maintain programs and the development of facilities of Jockey’s Ridge State Park, and you can support them here.
Here’s what’s going on for the 50th Anniversary:
Thursday, June 5
10 to 11:30 a.m. Kayak the Sound with a Ranger
3 to 4 p.m. Soundside Explorers program
5 p.m. Jockey’s Ridge Homecoming Dinner for Former and Current Staff
Friday, June 6
10 to 11:30 a.m. Kayak the Sound with a Ranger
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Outer Banks Rogallo Kite Festival with Kitty Hawk Kites
11 a.m. Hang Gliding Demos with Kitty Hawk Kites
12 to 2 p.m. Kids’ activities in the Visitors Center
3 to 4 p.m. Soundside Explorers program
7 p.m. Live Entertainment with The Connells
9 p.m. Drone Light Show by Sky Elements over Jockey’s Ridge
Photo: The Connells, one of North Carolina’s most successful indie rock bands, will perform at the Jockey's Ridge 50th Anniversary Celebration on June 6.
Saturday, June 7
7:30 a.m. Sunrise Yoga
9 to 10 a.m. Dune Ranger Program for kids and families
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Large Canoes Recreational Activity on the Sound
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Outer Banks Rogallo Kite Festival with Kitty Hawk Kites
11 a.m. Hang Gliding demos with Kitty Hawk Kites
12 to 2 p.m. Community Room Activities for Kids
5 to 5:30 p.m. Jockey’s Ridge History Documentary Premier
5:30 p.m. Legacy Project Presentation and 50th Anniversary Celebration and Cake Cutting
7 to 9 p.m. Sunset on the Ridge Toast, National Anthem and Flag Raising Ceremony
Photo: A Sandcastle Contest for all ages is scheduled for Sunday, June 8 at 11 a.m. Photo courtesy Friends of Jockey's Ridge State Park
Sunday, June 8
7:30 a.m. Sunrise Yoga
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Disc Golf Tournament
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Living Shoreline Project – volunteers needed to help plant grasses
11 a.m. Sandcastle Contest / 12:30 p.m. Awards
3 to 4 p.m. Soundside Explorers program
7 to 8 p.m. Sunset Kayak on the Sound with a Ranger
More Information
Registration is required for some programs, including ranger programs kayak programs and the disc golf tournament. Tickets are required for the Connells. Volunteers are needed for a variety of activities, and you can sign up online. All information and registrations can be found here.
For more information about Jockey's Ridge State Park, click here. For information about Friends of Jockey's Ridge State Park, click here.
"New Change is Not Always Good Change" by Reddawn is one of the Jockey's Ridge-inspired artworks in Art From the Edge, now on view at Jockey's Ridge State Park Visitors Center. Works are for sale and benefit the Friends of Jockey's Ridge State Park.
Don’t Miss!
Art From the Edge
An art exhibit inspired by Jockey’s Ridge
Through June 8
Jockey’s Ridge State Park Visitor Center, 300 W Carolista Dr in Nags Head
This art show, featuring 20 favorite regional artists, is a benefit for the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge. Featuring works inspired by Jockey's Ridge, the artists include Jill Block, Mark Brothers, Marcia Cline, Mojo Collins, Carolina Coto, Lyn Jenkins, Matthew Grimes, Sis Hall, Larry McCarter, James Melvin, Dawn Moraga, Billy Moseley, Holly Nettles, Rick Nilson, Jaquelin Perry, Brad Price, Willow Rea, Fen Roscoe, Megan Rubino, and Taylor Williams. You can see all the artwork and purchase them by clicking here.
About the Author Molly Harrison
Molly Harrison is managing editor at OneBoat, publisher of OuterBanksThisWeek.com. She moved to Nags Head in 1994 and since then has made her living writing articles and creating publications about the people, places and culture of the Outer Banks.
