This Land, Your Land

A new attraction has risen from the sands at Jockeys Ridge State Park: a 60-foot-high wind turbine erected near the visitor center.

The turbine will supply electric power to the 420-acre park, according to the state Division of Parks and Recreation. The turbine and outdoor exhibits that explain its operation cost $140,000, which came from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the principal funding source for state parks' capital projects and land acquisition.

The windmill has a 23-foot blade-span. It is on a single pole near the visitor center and several hundred yards from the 80-foot-high sand dune that gives the Dare County state park its name. The windswept park is also popular for hang gliding and kite flying. (The state's news release did not include a photo of the new turbine.)

"Exactly how much power the turbine will produce is not known ..." the state's news release says. "Park officials anticipate its power generation will offset most of the cost of supplying the visitor center, which includes an exhibit hall, an auditorium and park offices."