Buried Cars of Core Banks

09-15-2025

Forgotten vehicles tell a story.

The secret buried cars of North Carolina’s Core Banks remain one of the region’s most unusual mysteries. In 1976, nearly 1,500 abandoned vehicles were removed, leaving only a handful behind. Over time, sand dunes covered many of them, preserving pieces of a forgotten era in coastal history.

Beach driving once ruled.

During the early automobile years, seaside driving was a common daily activity. Cars sped along beaches without restrictions, leaving ruts across nesting grounds. Fluids leaked into sand, while saltwater corroded iron and steel. Today, restrictions exist, but decades ago, the Core Banks saw open driving unlike anywhere else in North Carolina.

Abandoned cars became landmarks.

Visitors ferried their cars to the islands, often never bringing them back. Many vehicles served until they broke down. Fishermen drove everything from jalopies to luxury models like the Duesenberg. Once stuck or disabled, cars were left behind, slowly swallowed by shifting dunes and coastal storms.

Cleanup efforts began in 1975.

By the mid-1970s, abandoned cars littered South Core Banks. According to the Wilmington Star-News, new rules required vehicle registration for island use. Those without registration faced confiscation. Cleanup crews hauled away wrecks by barge, though storms and deep sand slowed their work. Still, hundreds of vehicles vanished from the beaches.

Some wrecks remain.

Despite large-scale removal, many buried cars escaped detection. Over the years, winds and waves uncovered steering wheels, bumpers, and frames. Rangers now flag exposed metal as beach hazards. Occasionally, surveys reveal not just cars but also remnants of shipwrecks and even fragments believed to be from a C-130 aircraft.

Driving rules changed forever.

Today, permits are no longer required, but restrictions are strict. Ferry prices vary depending on the type of vehicle you’re driving. Drivers face heavy fines if they abandon vehicles, since towing across sand and tides proves expensive. Rangers remind visitors that tire ruts can still endanger baby sea turtles during hatching season.

History remains beneath the sand.

The buried cars of Core Banks reflect a unique chapter in coastal history. Once symbols of freedom and leisure, they later became environmental hazards. Now, they are part of local legend. The secret buried cars of Core Banks remind us how past choices shape today’s fragile shoreline.

To learn more, visit the blog life, reflection, and faith.