Dare County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: October 21, 2007
Author: Jerry Brekhus

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I was motivated by Ryan Bowles' trip report to search for information on the highpoint of Dare County, specifically Jockeys Ridge vs Kill Devil Hill.

This link reports the 2004 elevation of Jockeys Ridge as 21.9 meters (72 feet).

The Kitty Hawk Quad shows a 26 meter (85 foot) contour on Kill Devil Hill.

I suggest that Kill Devil Hill should at least be listed as a possibility for the Dare County highpoint.

I revisited Jockeys Ridge in 2004. At the time, I didn't realize that Kill Devil Hill was a serious contender. Somehow, I overlooked Ryan's trip report. I would have revisited Kill Devil Hill (the site of a large monument to the Wright Brothers) as well.

Since Jockeys Ridge has apparently been losing elevation since the 1950's while Kill Devil Hill has remained stable, it now appears that Kill Devil Hill is likely the highest point in Dare County. Jockeys Ridge may have diminished enough to lose its high point status sometime during the 1990's.