Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

Absolutely love this wildlife refuge! As someone who travels often and tries to visit every national park, spotting wildlife is my favorite thing- and I’ve never seen more bears anywhere else. In just one day, we saw 20+ bears by driving slowly in the early morning, and we returned before sunset to see even more- it was incredible! Heads-up: the visitor center is not at the refuge-you need to go to Manteo to check it out. If you’re coming for alligators, you might be disappointed (we only saw one), but the bears made the visit unforgettable. I don’t understand the bad reviews- seeing wildlife really comes down to timing and patience. This place is amazing!

I came in the morning for bear viewing. Sunrise and my arrivale was around 6. I saw a blue heron and barred owl. Didn't see any bears until around 730, than I was lucky enough to see 4 of them. There was some overcast that morning, so perhaps that helped? 3 of the bears were out in the crop fields along miltail & long curve rd. Having binoculars was extremely helpful - I could see better with them than the pictures my camera took with zoom. 1 bear I saw on the side of the road along bear rd - has a lot of brush instead of marsh-like water so I think that was why. Overall a very cool experience and I would recommend a drive!

We have lived in Eastern NC for 5 years now and I have been wanting to go so when we had visitors from Wisconsin we went. OH MY GOSH!!! What an amazing place. Be prepared to take it slow and take it all in. I can't remember exactly which roads we took through the refuge but our time paid off! We saw a huge alligator as well as a BEAR! He looked like a tree stump from a distance but then it started moving. We watched it for a long time. Now I can't wait to go back.

One of the coolest experiences I've ever had. I wish I'd had more time to stay and next time I'll probably stay all day. We saw 8 wild black bears in under an hour, just chilling, minding their own business. If you do go please be QUIET, KIND, AND KEEP YOUR DISTANCE from the wildlife. One truck full of folks was zooming around trying to get close photos for Instagram and they were stressing one particular bear quite a bit.

Time of year definitely matters. We've been out many times in the spring and fall with few sightings of bears, wolves, deer and small wildlife. This is our first time during the summer months and we've seen over a dozen black bears, all various sizes... including the tank pictured, and one gator. Highly recommend taking the drive at dusk, fantastic experience.

Go early, drive slowly and keep a keen eye out. We have been twice and have not been disappointed. We saw both alligators and bears!! Such a peaceful, quiet, lovely dose of Mother Nature at dawn.

Pretty serene and unique wildlife refuge where you get to see an abundance of wildlife from Black bears, birds, and if you're lucky alligators. There are two spots to launch your Kayak, a wildlife drive, and plenty of trails to hike or bike on. Bring bug spray. If you are a little adventurous I would do the scenery trail on a bike. Lots of more opportunities for seeing wildlife without scaring them off. Defiantly will be back to visit.

Was great driving around looking for animals. We got there at dawn. Saw our first animal a horned owl at 8am. Saw so many bear. Saw the very shy red wolf. Alligators and heard so many different birds. . Went kayaking which was cool. All I would say is there are not many places for bathroom breaks and bring bug spray.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge had some of the best wildlife watching I've experienced in the entire United States. It's a gem, and I can't believe it doesn't get more attention. Check the website or pick up a pamphlet at one of the entrances for a map. There's a scenic driving route that is recommended for wildlife viewing. Come at dawn or dusk and bring binoculars and some patience. You'll see a lot! We came over Memorial Day weekend and spent two hours around sunset one day and then 4 hours around dawn another day. We saw 10 bears, an otter, an alligator, a snapping turtle, a cottonmouth swimming, a raccoon, and approximately 1,000 turtles. You're more likely to see mammals at dawn and dusk, but if you come in the middle of the day on a sunny day you'll see alligators and turtles. Timing is important! Also note that the roads are all gravel. Drive slowly- that's how you'll spot stuff best anyway. You can also walk on a couple trails. One trail went through a cypress swamp and was good for birding, insects, and turtles. Another trail went along a field and is great for seeing alligators and bears. We saw a bear right on the trail! There are kayaking trails as well. You should be an experienced kayaker because you'll have to bring your own equipment. The trails are quiet and isolated, and they would provide some peaceful beautiful kayaking. Bring bug spray if you're going to get out of the car. It's also just a beautiful place! Sunset and sunrise are gorgeous. I can't wait to come back again.

We came through in the evening for an educational program on bears. We then had the opportunity to drive around as we wished through the refuge. Between our 2 cars we spotted a distant black bear, possible red wolf, a barred owl, lots of turtles and a small gator. Worth taking a drive to see what you find!

Saw at least 15 adult bears at sunset. Drive slow and take binoculars. Gorgeous end to the day. Highly recommend.

Bottom Line: A nice visitors center that serves as a great jumping off point to explore the refuge. This review is primarily for the Coastal Carolina National Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center which, as I understand it, is the visitors center for the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and other eight other wildlife refuges along the North Carolina coast. At the Visitor's Center we enjoyed checking out the exhibits, watching a short film and meandering around the gift shop. The building is quite nice with a back deck that leads to a little hiking trail. The Visitors Center is staffed by local volunteers who can provide information about exploring the wildlife refuges. Looking for bears are kayaking Alligator River are both popular adventures.

If you are driving to or from the outer banks on Hwy 64 and happen to get stuck at the flip bridge on this road, e prepared to wait FOREVER. One simple little boat went through and it was a 30 minute wait. It was insane how far back the car traffic was for one single little boat. After the boat went through it took the guard a LONG time to close the bridge. Wish there was a better way to get to or from OBX

-We came across two bear. -Unfortunately, no alligators -Bring plenty bug repellent -The lady working front desk at the volunteer center has great knowledge of all aspects on the proximity

While I can't speak for you, I know that after enough time at the beach I get a bit stir crazy and like to explore things that are not beach related. If this sounds like you then coming to Alligator River will definitely scratch that itch. If you're anywhere in the OBX area it's very easy to get here. Just take 64 west and cross over Manteo Island and you're here. While there is a visitors center on Manteo Island, we chose to do things the more adventurous way and wing it. If you are hardcore about needing a map and directions then by all means stop by the visitors center or they do have a random map box located at the start of the Murphy Peterson Wildlife Drive by the maintenance shops on Milltail Road. In this area cell service is at spotty and the main map they have on their website bears little resemblance to the network of roads that actually exists here. Also note that the refuge is large. According to the website it encompasses over 150,000 acres which equates to an area that's 28 miles tall by 15 miles wide. The area is mostly dense forests and swampy bogs but it also is adjacent to a lot of commercial farming operations. Bizarre. We were lucky in that we saw a bear and a gator within ten minutes of being on the property. The bear likely would have stayed around a bit more but it looked like a juvenile and some asshat in a nearby car (not this asshat) got way too close which scared it into the woods. The gator on the other hand was very interested in our presence and slowly was moving in our general direction until we moved on. We drove most of the fifteen miles of the wildlife trail and didn't see much after that initial score except for tons of turtles and a fair amount of birds. Part of that could have been due to the heat of the early afternoon in mid-June and part of that I'm sure was due to the few other drivers who were mostly ripping down the stone roads at 30+ mph. From their website: "Alligator River Refuge was established in 1984 to preserve and protect a unique wetland habitat type - the pocosin - and its associated wildlife species. The diversity of habitat types include high and low pocosin, bogs, fresh and brackish water marshes, hardwood swamps, and Atlantic white cedar swamps. Considered among the last remaining strongholds for black bear in eastern North Carolina and on the mid-Atlantic Coast, the Refuge also provides valuable habitat for concentrations of ducks, geese, and swans; wading birds, shorebirds, American woodcock, raptors, American alligators, white-tailed deer, raccoons, rabbits, quail, river otters, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and migrating songbirds. It serves as the core area for re-establishing the red wolf back into the wild. To learn more about Alligator National Wildlife Refuge, visit the National Wildlife Refuges Gateway Visitor Center on Roanoke Island. The visitor center offers numerous hands-on and interactive exhibits on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge plus 10 other regional refuges and one National Fish Hatchery. The Visitor Center is on the north end of Roanoke Island, about a quarter-mile from the entrance to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. It's open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and admission is free." I wouldn't call Alligator River a must do but it is a neat diversion that no doubt only a minute number of tourists ever hear about let alone visit. www.fws.gov/refuge/alligator_river/ (lots of events in season) www.fws.gov/refuge/Alligator_River/map.html (shitty map) www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/tearsheet/alligator-river-national-wildlife-refuge.pdf (the map you need to use) thedyrt.com/magazine/local/alligator-river-national-wildlife-refuge/ (good article on the refuge)

The scenery was less than impressive and the wildlife consisted of a half dozen turtles, which were cool but still..... not what I was expecting or hoping for.

We didn't see anything but birds and turtles, but it was still enjoyable. It was fun driving around & we stopped for the trail. We also saw a post that looked like it got mauled by a bear.

As others have said, this isn't worth coming out your way for BUT it gets 5 stars from me because I got to see my first bear here! I arrived for a swamp kayaking tour that bragged of bears, wolves, and alligators. I did see a single baby gator at the start of the tour but nothing else after that. It was still a nice ride out but far from what had been promised (can't really account for nature, but I do wonder how common sightings of those animals are after seeing the reviews here). After the tour I tooled around the preserve - your GPS is useless here. Not because you don't have service (which is likely), but because the roads are just not accurately represented on the map. I stopped and tried to amend what I could on Google, but after the 5th stop just gave up and tried to get out. I drove slowly, the road is rocky and I didn't want to scare away any wildlife. That's when I saw the little guy, walking across the road, into the marshland, having somewhere to be. My pictures are awful, the camera just wouldn't focus but there he is - bear! I also saw some turkey vultures and big bugs. For the most part this is just empty road after empty road, unless there are more exciting parts I didn't see. It's worth a drive through if you're in the area - just get a map!

Drove through last weekend and saw innumerable turtles, a few birds, and a black bear in less than a half hour of our brief drive, and that was in the heat of the day. Will try again next time when visiting the OBX, but in the early morning or around dusk. I don't think you'd want to get out of your vehicle here though - the horseflies were enormous and aggressive, just stick with the drive (from the map you can get at the nearby visitor center)!

We stopped here after visiting the Aquarium. We saw a lot of turtles, butterflies, dragon flies, woodpeckers and Turkey vultures. The Walk along the Alligator river is nice. They have nice observation platforms and one lists the planes you may see doing training flights over the area. The wildlife drive is a gravel road. We didn't see any bears but it was a new place and it's probably better to come early in the AM or at dusk for animal viewing. It's free & we got our park stamps.

I believe nature is to be enjoyed with little fanfare and doesn't require much from us, other than being present in the moment and observant of what surrounds us. My hope was to see lots of flora and fauna in an environment in which they thrived. Today wasn't that day. The refuge is large and appears to have lots of areas for wildlife, and roads for vehicles, but not a lot of these places intersected. The result was not a lot of wildlife viewing. We saw a large number of turtles, two turkey vultures, and one doe. No birds. No bears. No alligators. We took a stroll down a 1/2 mile nature trail and saw a frog. The area was quiet and peaceful and we enjoyed the time outdoors, but were overall underwhelmed with the experience this visit. Perhaps it was the time of day or time of year that did us in. We make two trips a year to the OBX and this was our first visit ever to Alligator River, so we won't write this one off just yet and plan to try again next time we are in the area. We will update the review accordingly.

I wanted to check this place out because I had seen previous posts from people who had visited posting bear pics, etc. Unfortunately for me....No such luck! I spent hours driving around on gravel roads looking for bears, or any sign of animal life. The only thing I saw were a ton of turtles basking in the sun. The whole time I was driving around I wasn't even sure I was in the right place so more marking would be better other than just wildlife viewing. Keep in mind...it is gravel roads and you are out in the middle of no where. I maybe saw five other cars the entire time. So be sure you have a phone with signal and battery life just in case. Good Luck, hope you see something.

Really cool nature wildlife preserve. We saw a couple black bears, turtles, and deer. I didn't see any alligators but maybe next time. I had like no service out there. It was worth seeing. Beautiful North Carolina woodland area! It was mostly all gravel roads. I had a good time!

The visitor center for the reserve is where we thought the reserve was. It turns out it MILES away from the island. Turned around due to seriously dusty gravel roads. Disappointing.

Make sure you get a map at the entrance. You can spend hours on end driving the gravel roads here. The main gravel roads are all good. There are additional back and side roads that are denoted as travel at your own risk. There are also warnings that should you use those side roads, here are the tow companies/cost to get yourself unstuck from the mud. Add to that limited to no cell reception and you get the idea. The wildlife drive is more like a wildlife maze with each intersection offering 2 or more options of where to turn next. While daylight use only is specified, there aren't any kind of gates or anything to prevent other usage. We did see some interesting wildlife though no bears.

Quite a lot of swamp here with many trees and other vegetation. You can't easily explore, and if you did, be aware that the whole Refuge does not have cell phone service.

We spoke with a nice gentleman at the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Visitors' Center who recommended this refuge to us. It turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of our lives! (My family is full of animals lovers). We were directed to drive down "River Road," a quiet road in the woods with no traffic. The road is very bumpy and rocky, but it was worth it! One side of the road is forestry and the other is corn fields. During our drive down this road (one mile or less) we saw nine black bears in their natural habitat! We even had one that sat about six feet away from our car staring at us. It was unbelievable! We kept our windows up and felt perfectly safe the entire time. I guess it's the corn fields that draw the bears. Many of them were eating corn when we drove down the road. Once they heard the cars coming, they peeked their heads above the corn husks to see us. They didn't seem scared of the cars, but they didn't approach us for food either. Among our sightings were two families. Each family had a mom watching over two baby bear cubs. It was one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen. Moms are obviously very protective over their cubs, so it's important to stay safe and not do anything stupid or impulsive. Any sudden movement could be interpreted as aggressive by a mother bear. The refuge also has swamps and creeks that have alligators in them! We unfortunately did not see any, but we only looked along the roads. The refuge offers a guided canoe tour through the water that pretty much guarantees you to see alligators and snakes. Tip: Please drive slow and exercise caution! Although they are beautiful and adorable creatures, it's important to remember that these are wild animals.

Went to the visitor center figuring that the road to drive on is nearby. The visitors center is 20 mins from the actual roads you are to drive on. Not impressed

It was raining and we didn't have enough time for the drives they recommend so this review is just for the visitor center. We stopped here when our tickets to the Aquarium were cancelled due to power outage. I was very pleasantly surprised - even though it's on the small side, the visitor center has an exhibit area that id packed with interesting information and lots of interactive buttons for kids to press! Lots of taxidermy animals of the region to see. There is even a "touch and feel" classroom, an auditorium with a movie about the area and a small gift shop (of reasonable prices for a gift shop). The volunteers were super friendly! We really enjoyed our visit!

Didn't know about this place until an acquaintance mentioned this place. The story about Buffalo City is fascinating. Makes me want to learn more. The Lady at the desk was very pleasant to talk to. Enjoyed the center very much. The driving tour was great. Didn't see any bear or wolves...

Bears, wolves, vultures, turtles, otters, beavers, alligators. No signal and complete pitch black at night. Sounds like the perfect setting for a survival horror movie if your car breaks down. Dusk and dawn is your best chance for wildlife. I didn't see any. A lot of empty vastness.

Difficult to find your way around, but the posted pics of the maps should make your time a bit easier. We didn't see anything, but we went at the wrong time. I wish I had more time to go back. Review the maps and other suggestions in other comments before you go. Seems like there are some good tips.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge - worth it If you don't like looking for, and seeing, wildlife. Don't go. If you don't like scenic vistas, don't go. If you want paved roads, don't go. If you need excitement, don't go. The refuge is a beautiful - we were there on two different stormy fall days - saw lots of different butterflies and birds, deer, turtles, and a close look at a black bear. And another bear was seen far off in the distance. You're not always going to see a bear or other animals, but you will always see something interesting. I wish I lived closer so I could visit more often. Looks like a great place to kayak.

My mom and I went to this refuge today and we were pleasantly surprised! We got there around 8:30-9am. The only trouble we had was the lack of signs and direction (although we did not visit the nice welcome center located on manteo- oh well). But we drove around for about 30 minutes, confused as to which roads to take until we came upon a clearing where we saw a huge black bear hanging out in the sunshine. It was so beautiful and it came pretty close to our car (very surprising to us) but I got some great pictures on my Nice camera (and some average pics in my iPhone). We saw a total of 5 bears, masses of turtles, one huge alligator, a snake crossing the road, a family of raccoons swimming, birds of prey, and woodpeckers all within 3 hours. It was fantastic and we will definitely be going back. There were lots of bugs that wanted to "dive-bomb" into our car when we had our windows open, but that comes with the territory of being in the wilderness. Also- we found a park map at Buffalo Road... After we found the map we knew exactly where everything was and didn't need to go to the visitors center!

I fully support the idea of wildlife refuges and conservation, and I love that there is a driving path. We didn't have anything to do on a rainy afternoon and decided to drive through. I found it sort of boring, with interminable gravel roads for miles and not much to see. We didn't see any wildlife, though we did go in the afternoon, not dawn or dusk as recommended.

Its rather difficult to ascertain where to actually start as the directions often get fuzzy. The signs are a bit lacking and I wish there was an easy focal point to the area with more trails but this refuge never fails to deliver wildlife. Every single time I go, I always see bears. This last time, we got there by 7am and saw 6 bears including 2 cubs just driving around. Many of the roads were closed but driving around is fun. Kinda feels like Jurassic Park at times but its always an adventure with something new. Get up early, go see the bears, and then have breakfast. It really makes for a perfect day

IF zero stars were an option, I'd pick that. Yes, Alligator River is a beautiful park with great wildlife. Unfortunately, they have TERRIBLE employees! My family was visiting the outer banks, and we had wanted to do one of their guided canoe tours. I called two weeks in advance, trying to make reservations. The way reservations work are you call, leave a message, and (supposedly) someone will call you to confirm within 24 hours. We played phone tag for weeks and then I get a message stating that the some tours were booked but others were open, could I please call back. I called back, left my name, number, and the size of the party -- and they said they would call within 24 hours. Never happened -- I called back the next two days, got no one, and the same message. Then, they day before the tour, the ranger called, said "Oh, all the tours are booked! I just booked all the remaining spots!" I made it clear that I was very unhappy that after two weeks of calling, with no one bothering to return my calls, I finally got a call just to tell me they were booked. Then she claimed I had only called once before -- and flat out said I was lying. This park might be beautiful, but their employees are awful. Avoid any of their 'activities' at all costs! If you REALLY want to go on one, make sure you start calling them atleast a month in advance. I never did catch anyone in their offices, but when they bother to return calls its usually between 4 and 6 pm.

Located near the Outer Banks, this refuge allows people to drive through (a self auto tour). You might see deer, black bear, various snakes, etc. The visitor center is acutally at the nearby Pea Island NWR. But there is a maintence building on site. Other activities need reservations (canoe tours, red wolf "howlings", and a guided night drive to look for bears). Hunting might be allowed, too, just check with the refuge on when and what the regulations are.

Friend and I drove to the refuge in hopes of seeing the bears. What we found was an empty vastness. We drove and drove on the marked (rough stone) drive, and didn't see as much as a bird! I know by my home in Virginia, the preserve are teaming with cranes, turtles, birds, etc.. Only thing we encountered were a bazillion mosquitos!! Don't dare open your windows or get out of the car UGH! The ad does not state early morning or early evening to see bear, although perhaps to ourselves, we were thinking they only come out at that time. Also were thinking perhaps they were getting ready to hibernate. Bottom line for me is, that I will never go there again, unless someone can point out to me the "right" way to see and experience it?

I love this refuge!! It is one of my go-tos for birding and wildlife viewing. I have been multiple times and seen black bears, alligator, snakes, raccoons, and a wide variety of birds (including owls, my favorite). It is easily accessible by car or foot. There is also a wonderful marsh boardwalk hidden by one of the entrances. The visitor center is nice and new and I found the employees to be friendly and informative.

It might be helpful to remember that wildlife refuges are....refuges. For wildlife. The animals are not paid actors, they are not on a feeding schedule, and you are not charged an entry fee. If you see wildlife, you are lucky, that's all there is to it. They hide from us for good reason. This is a place for them, not us. We are just being allowed to come in - into THEIR space. You can go to a zoo and still not be guaranteed to see the animal you go there to see. These are living breathing creatures living their lives and trying to survive. This place is trying to help them do that, and for that I am thankful. We've seen something every time we've been, you just really have to look. Sundown is a good time. Research when migratory birds are passing through. Look up. Drive slow. Be happy these animals have a safe place. That is the primary purpose it serves. It wasn't created for human entertainment. The reviews here are sad but not surprising. This is why animals can't have nice things.