NC National Park Service tells visitors to use 'backcountry style' at the coast

NORTH CAROLINA -- The National Park Service says visitors to an uninhabited barrier islands in North Carolina's should plan on a trip without toilets after recent storms damaged the restrooms there.

Cape Lookout National Seashore says on its Facebook page that visitors needing a restroom will have to go "backcountry style" on Shackleford Banks and adopt "Leave No Trace" guidelines: Visitors must bring their own toilet paper and bury solid human waste at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails.

The island's restrooms were closed after recent hurricanes.

Officials suggest visitors answer nature's call by using mainland facilities before taking a ferry to Shackleford Banks. Reachable only by boat or ferry, the popular fishing and recreation destination is a narrow island about 8.5 miles long that's populated by wild horses.