The Natural Traveler Along North Carolina's Coast offers a whole new way to experience this popular region. In addition to providing information about traditional attractions such as lighthouses and national seashores, this guide gives details about little-known natural areas along the coast, such as newly opened trails for canoeing, kayaking, and hiking. Whether you prefer to seek adventure in a natural setting, to watch migrating ducks from a wildlife observation platform, or to surf fish for red drum from a chair on the beach, this guidebook offers suggestions for the best places to pursue all these activities and more. In this book, you'll find the latest information-including websites, phone numbers and directions-for state and national parks, wildlife refuges, nature preserves, game lands, bird sanctuaries, and national forests in the coastal region. It provides an overview of the area's rich natural history, as well as pointing out when and where you can see specific flora and fauna at each location.
Along with outdoor pursuits, this guide will steer you to the best historic sites, museums, and aquariums in the coastal region. These include newly opened and renovated facilities such as the magnificent Whalehead Club, the Core Sound Wildlife Museum, and the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. From Elizabeth City to Calabash, this guides provides details for where to go and what to see in all of the coastal towns. It even includes top picks of restaurants and lodgings.
A sample of the activities described in The Natural Traveler Along North Carolina's Coast:
-Sign up for a wolf howling at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
-Hike the trails in the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve
-Hang-glide off the sand dune at Jockey's Ridge State Park
-Deep-sea fish for marlin out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center
-Canoe the Roanoke River Canoe Trail and camp on a wooden platform
-Observe tundra swans migrating through Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
-Watch sea turtles crawl on to the beach at night on Bald Head Island
-Hunt for Venus flytraps in the Green Swamp
-Sea kayak out to Bear Island
