Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge covers nearly 6,000 acres at the northern end of Hatteras Island, a critical stopover on the Atlantic Flyway — the main migration corridor for birds moving up and down the East Coast. The refuge encompasses ocean beach, dunes, salt marshes, and freshwater impoundments managed specifically for waterfowl.

The North Pond Wildlife Trail is a 4-mile loop around the main impoundment, walkable year-round with binoculars. In autumn, tens of thousands of snow geese and tundra swans descend on the ponds. Shorebirds concentrate on the mudflats during migration. The beach side of the refuge is nesting habitat for loggerhead sea turtles, which come ashore from May to August. A small visitor centre at the refuge entrance has trail maps and bird checklists.

things to do sight wildlife
A story
Pea Island was established as a national wildlife refuge in 1938, partly because the land had no roads and was essentially inaccessible. It was one of the earliest refuges established specifically to protect migratory birds — today more than 365 species have been recorded here, making it one of the best birdwatching sites on the entire Atlantic coast.