If you click on the picture, you should be able to see several beam ends sticking up in the sand.
You need to drive slowly and watch carefully on the beaches.
Wash Woods is an ancient maritime forest spread throughout the Corolla beaches. The stumps are all over the place, but sometimes are under the sand or just barely sticking up.
You can see more of Wash Woods and other beach scenery in the following blog posts:
http://contentmentacres.blogspot.com/2012/04/scenery.html
http://contentmentacres.blogspot.com/2012/04/tips-for-driving-on-beach-in-obx-and.html
http://contentmentacres.blogspot.com/2011/10/more-beach-scenery.html
http://contentmentacres.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post_9472.html
http://www.carovabeach.blogspot.com/2013/03/so-what-is-up-with-tree-stumps-on-beach.html