Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge — Attraction in Hatteras Island

• We visited on a Thursday morning in late December 2023 (after Christmas). • We stopped by while traveling from Hatteras Light Station to Bodie Light Station. • This stop was totally worth it. The parking lot was kind of small (maybe hold 20 cars max) and there were maybe 4 or 5 spots left when we arrived. • Many of the people try to cross the dunes on the other side of the road (not sure if you’re supposed to be doing that anyways) but the real gem is out back into the bay. • The visitor center is fairly large for a Wildlife Refuge and the store takes up about 1/3 of the area too. They had a bunch of merch and ones specific for pea island but also for 3 or 4 other Wildlife Refuges in the area. • They had a few small exhibits and a few scopes to look out the large bank of back windows in the center. • The Blue Goose Cancellation Stamp is located to the left of the door when you walk into the visitor center. At the time of our visit they were sold out of the Blue Goose Books. We’ve only seen these at like 4 or 5 of the 2 dozen-ish National Wildlife Refuges we’ve visited. If you are interested in them, the NC National Wildlife Refuge Gateway Visitor Center in Manteo had a few in stock. • At the other end of the parking lot (also where the bathrooms are located), there is trail that leads all the way out into the bay with a overlook/observation deck. We only went about halfway as we were on a schedule. There were several other groups hiking the trail as well. Bring your binoculars. There were a few birds even for this time of year we visited. We also spotted a snapping turtle in the pond near the bathroom. • We would definitely visit again and do the trail out back to the overlook. Worth the stop for sure. If it was this crowded on a weekday in December I can only imagine what it would be like in the...

Of course I've visited here many times, growing up and then raising my own family, it's a beautiful area, with birds to see, the soundside trail, bridges, wildlife no matter the season. Now watching my own grandchildren enjoy the trails, the very cool turtles that hang out at the bridge, ( so bring your stale bread) they love it and so do the kids..and big kids, be kind though and throw away your garbage, this is what keeps the paths beautiful . If I had any complaints, it would be the closing of the restroom, which though was never a favorite spot it was better than the now 'Porta -John's. Nasty, smelly and a eyesore on the parking lot. Hoping to see the rest area redone" and as it is the only spot to stop between Whalebone Junction ( beginning of Cape Hatteras to the 1st campground outside of Salvo 1/2 mile.) And it isn't marked so you need to go, go before you drive for from there to Hatteras Village, with traffic that is a 1 and 1/2 hr.drive or more.. otherwise. as stated enjoy the spot you'll be glad you did, and sunsets beautiful, theres a great shipwreck you can see oceanside, also.. warning, be safe when crossing the road, visitors especially do not know that you legally are supposed to stop for foot traffic. But going 60 or 25miles matters not, folks rarely pay attention while driving this area, and accidents are definitely not wanted so footwalkers, be cautious crossing the road. So after all that. ..all I can say" is ENJOY. WELL WORTH THE...

What an unexpected slice of paradise this place turned out to be!

We always seemed to drive by Pea Island while on our way somewhere else. Because we happened to come down to the Outer Banks a day earlier than originally planned and were only a half hour away, we decided to come up and check out the Wildlife Refuge while in between stops.

There is a visitors center with a gift shop, informative displays and brochures on the sights that can be seen, as well as a helpful and friendly staff! (Gerald gave us a brochure outlining the local birds of the Outer Banks that were most likely to be seen at various months of the year). Also worthy of noting: 100% of the proceeds from the shop are donated toward the preservation of the wildlife on Pea Island.

We took the 1/2 mile stroll down the wooden path to the beach head and saw turtles, frogs, geese, and much more! Even on a hot day, the way there and back takes no more than 30 minutes, even if taking your time, so be sure to stop and soak it all in!

There is a beach across the street on the ocean side that's a quick climb over the dune away. Beautiful clean beachhead with lots of open space!

If you're on your way to the southern parts of the Outer Banks, like Hatteras and Ocracoke, be sure to stop here if you happen to pass by during weekday daytime hours. We were so grateful to have such a lovely experience here and will plan on making this a regular stop during our visits...