During the summer of 1996, two hurricanes struck the southeastern coast of North Carolina. The overall effect of both hurricanes was a dramatic change in the physical structure of the Masonboro Island National Estuarine Research Reserve landscape. As such, the researchers believed the storm-altered physical features on Masonboro Island would result in the emergence of new/different recreational use patterns based on visitors' desire for solitude or space from other recreators and preference for specific natural beach resources. However, the results of this study indicated that neither solitude nor attraction to natural features was a determining factor in reemerging posthurricane recreational use patterns. Instead, reemerging recreational use zones were more directly tied with ease of access onto the island.