This marks the first time NCDOT has opened the highway to residents and visitors since … Feel free to contact the local sporting companies in Rodanthe or Nags Head to find out if they offer a Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge tour, or simply rent or bring your own kayak or canoe along and enjoy a ride at your own pace. The great room is ideal for entertaining with views from every angle.An open kitchen and gracious dining area overlook LI Sound and nearby Pea Island naturally offering spectacular views and unending beauty. In fact, the refuge is so well known for its fantastic, off-the-beaten path nature trails, that it is an important part of the official "Charles Kuralt Trail," a series of trails in North Carolina that explore some of the region's most pristine refuges and reserves.Birdwatchers flock to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refugein the winter months to catch wintering waterfowl such as tundra swans, snow geese, and even white pelicans. Photos. The refuge begins after the Bonner Bridge. Summertime visitors are welcome as well, and may want to spend some time at the adjacent oceanfront beaches, which are nicely warm and uncrowded all season long.The North Pond Walking Trail is ½ mile long, while the Salt Flats Wildlife Trail can extend for several miles, depending on how far explorers want to wander.The Wings Over Water Festival has a myriad of events that are spread out across multiple days and multiple refuges in the Outer Banks area. Popular excursions and events within the festival include guided birdwatching hikes, kayak tours, boat or pontoon boat tours, tram tours, art classes, guest lecturers, and more.Visitors will also find two nature trails located close to the visitors center, the North Pond Trail and the Salt Flats Trail. Access is still restricted to Ocracoke residents, non-resident property owners and those permitted by Hyde County.Cape Hatteras National Seashore campgrounds at Cape Point and Frisco reopened on Wednesday. The refuge begins just outside of the town of Rodanthe.The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge has two primary hiking trails, which are close to the Visitors Center. Nicely isolated, the shorelines of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge are a fine place to hunt for shells, sea glass, and other unique beach treasures.Visitors can park all along NC Highway 12 in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, except in construction areas or special marked areas. Pea Island Visitor Center. Visitors will want to use caution, as the highway’s shoulders can be comprised of deep and soft sand, which can cause a vehicle to get stuck.The Salt Flats Trail is located along the northern border of North Pond, and also travels across a dike that leads out to the Salt Flats area.
Not Now. And while over 2.7 million visitors pass through or visit the refuge in some aspect every year, via the gorgeous oceanside beaches or the scenic nature trails, visitors would never guess it was that popular. This visitors' center is fairly easy to spot, as there are no buildings along this stretch of NC Highway 12, and the center is the lone structure on this portion of the island. Early visitors would make the long and tricky journey to Hatteras Island for the incredible hunting and fishing, and the area now known as the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge was well-stocked with ducks, geese, and fowl of all varieties that were easy pickings. No structural damage has been found to the pavement. The 17-mile bridge is a scam to make Pea Island a “Human Free Zone” where privileged “scientists” could visit but those of us who actually live here could not. That said, just because you're taking a scenic and all but required drive through the area to get to your destination doesn't necessarily mean you won't spot some incredible vistas and samples of the local wildlife.The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge can attract snakes in addition to its many birds, amphibians, and mammals. Pea Island Now Open to Four-wheel Drive Vehicles. NCDOT crews and contractors have been working since Monday to clear the road of sand and debris.