Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

With 152,000 acres lying on the mainland portions of Dare and Hyde Counties, North Carolina, the Alligator River NWR receives about 42,000 visitors annually.

Directions:

From Norfolk and Currituck Area:

Take US 168 south. US 168 becomes US 158 about 18 miles south of the NC/VA line. Continue on US 158 for about 23 miles. At this point you will cross the Wright Memorial Bridge across the Currituck Sound. After the bridge continue on US 158 through Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. At the south end of Nags Head, US 158 will transition to US 64 west. 

Continue on US 64 across one small and one large bridge on to Roanoke Island. Continue on US 64 across another bridge to Dare County Mainland. You will see a sign welcoming you onto the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. To find the main trails and visitor opportunities, continue west on US 64 (US 264 will turn off to the left about 1 mile past Manns Harbor). Approximately 4 miles west of the US 64/264 split is a parking lot on the left hand side of the road that serves as the trail head for Creef Cut Wildlife Trail.

From the Raleigh Area:

Take US 64 east from Raleigh. Travel east on US 64 for approximately 3 hours (at posted highway speeds). Approximately 12 miles east of the town of Columbia, US 64 will cross the Alligator River. On the east side of the bridge you will see a sign for Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. To find the main trails and visitor opportunities, continues east on US 64 for about 7 miles. At this point you should see signs for the Creef Cut Wildlife Trail and a small parking lot on your right that serves as the trail head for the Creef Cut Wildlife Trail.