Shackleford Banks in the Cape Lookout area is great for beach walking. Try to get out there on low tide as the grunge piles can be amazing, particularly at the east end of the island. Shackleford is a great prospect for beach walking as almost no motor vehicles are allowed there. Shells that wash up last longer than on the beaches where a person in a truck is not restricted on poundage of shells  they can take home in a given day. When you are on foot, 10 pounds of shells starts to feel like 50 after a couple miles and soon lose their charm so you cull to lighten the load = more shells for the next person.
However if driving on the beach is your preferred method of take the ferry over to Core Banks and drive north or south. You have to specify to be let off north or south of Drum Inlet. Portsmouth Island to the north and Cape Lookout to the south.
As was pointed out earlier the fewer the people the better the collecting. However save for the possibility for a tropical storm between now and then, September can be a bleak time of year to beach comb as the areas have been thoroughly searched during summer. The Outer banks are very well known for shell collecting.
Try exploring at the foot of bridges and causeways to islands such as Harkers Island in the Cape Lookout area, at low tide. Eel grass beds in that area can be particularly productive for living mollusks. If you want to go to the east end of Shackleford you may find yourself traveling to Harkers Island anyway to use one of the boat concessions located on that island to get there.

John Timmerman
Wilmington, North Carolina
>
> From: Theresa Schwinghammer <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2007/08/19 Sun PM 09:19:49 EDT
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [CONCH-L] Shelling in North Carolina
>
> Hello Again,
>
> I wanted to ask in my last post, but forgot....
>
> We are going to be along the outer banks of North Carolina the second week
> in September. Could anyone suggest some particular good areas for shelling?
>
> Thanks.
> Theresia
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
> To leave this list, click on the following web link:
> http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
> Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
> click leave the list.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------