Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge

Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina.

Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, located in Carteret County, North Carolina is on the end of a peninsula marking the southern end of Pamlico Sound. The refuge lies five miles east of the Atlantic ocean and about 40 miles northeast of Beaufort, North Carolina. Established in 1964, the refuge consists of approximately 11,000 acres of irregularly-flooded, brackish marsh and 3,480 acres of pocosin and woodland habitat. The dominant marsh plants include black needlerush, saltmarsh cordgrass, saltmeadow hay, and saltgrass. The woodland areas are dominated by loblolly, longleaf and pond pine. Live oak is also abundant on some upland sites. The marsh and surrounding waters provide wintering habitat for thousands of ducks and nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds.

Nearby Activities

• Biking
• Birding
• Boating
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Hunting
• Motor Boat
• Non-Motorized Boating
• Photography
• Wildlife Viewing

Directions

From Beaufort, NC:

1. Start out going east on Cedar St toward Live Oak St/NC-101.
2. Cedar St becomes Live Oak St. In 2.50 miles
3. Turn right onto Hwy 70 Beaufort/US-70 E. In 2.69 miles
4. Turn right onto Hwy 70 Beaufort/Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E. Continue to follow US-70 E. In 6.45 miles
5. Turn left onto US Highway 70 Smyrna/Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E. Continue to follow Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E. In 6.15 miles
6. Turn left onto US Highway 70 Davis/Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E. Continue to follow Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E. In 8.21 miles
7. Stay straight to go onto Cedar Island Rd/Outer Banks Scenic Byway/NC-12. In 8.32 miles
8. Turn right onto Lola Rd. In 2.19 miles Contact Center is on the left.

To Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge Contact Station from Mattamuskeet NWR (Refuge Headquarters):

1. Start out going northwest on Mattamuskeet Refuge Rd toward NC Highway 94/Alligator River Route/NC-94. In 1.39 miles
2. Turn left onto NC Highway 94/Alligator River Route/NC-94. In 1.50 miles
3. Turn right onto US Highway 264/Pamlico Scenic Byway/US-264 W. Continue to follow Pamlico Scenic Byway/US-264 W. In 33.56 miles
4. Turn right onto W Main St/Pamlico Scenic Byway/US-264 W/NC-99. Continue to follow US-264 W. In 29.26 miles
5. Turn left onto N Bridge St/US-17 Bus S. Continue to follow US-17 Bus S. In 4.45 miles
6. Stay straight to go onto US Highway 17/US-17 S. Continue to follow US-17 S. In 31.23 miles
7. Take the US-70 E exit, EXIT 417AB, toward Havelock/New Bern. In 0.36 miles
8. Merge onto US-70 E via EXIT 417B on the left toward Havelock/Morehead City. In 17.13 miles
9. Turn slight left onto Miller Blvd/NC-101. Continue to follow NC-101. In 16.12 miles
10. Turn left onto Laurel Rd. In 2.27 mile
11. Turn right onto Merrimon Rd. In 2.44 miles
12. Turn left onto Hwy 70 Beaufort/Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E. Continue to follow US-70 E. In 6.43 miles
13. Turn left onto US Highway 70 Smyrna/Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E. Continue to follow Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E.In 6.15 miles
14. Turn left onto US Highway 70 Davis/Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E. Continue to follow Outer Banks Scenic Byway/US-70 E.In 8.21 miles
15. Stay straight to go onto Cedar Island Rd/Outer Banks Scenic Byway/NC-12. In 8.32 miles
16. Turn right onto Lola Rd. In 2.19 miles Contact Center is on the left.

Cedar Island can also be accessed by ferry from Ocracoke Island.

Additional Information

• Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge