Wildlife Watching and Photography...

yde County is the ultimate wildlife watching destination in North Carolina.  Whether you like birds, bears, or butterflies, this is a nature observer’s paradise. With four National Wildlife Refuges (link here?), 3 State Game Lands, and a National Seashore, the opportunities to watch wildlife are around most every corner.  If you love wildlife you will be delighted with the exceptional viewing available at Mattamuskeet and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuges (links here?).  Both have miles of wildlife drives and many more miles of dikes open to non-motorized travel.   

Prime birding is during the fall and winter when thousands upon thousands of migratory ducks, geese, and swans can be seen and heard on the water, in the marshes and fields, and in the sky. But don’t let warm weather keep you from visiting – spring and summer are great times to see shorebirds, wading birds, nesting osprey, and passerines.   Besides, exploring the Mainland refuges during the warm months will complement your visit to Ocracoke. On the island, you’ll want to bird the beaches on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, flown over by a variety of birds including uncommon pelagic species. For a peek at species that like a little more cover, hike the Hammock Hill Nature Trail with its panoramic views of the brackish marsh. 

BOATING | WILDLIFE WATCHING & PHOTOGRAPHY | HUNTING
FISHING | WANDERING & WONDERING | GREAT OUTS