Coronavirus (COVID-19) Notice
Although most refuge lands and outdoor spaces have remained open for the public to enjoy, we ask that you recreate responsibly.

  • Check alerts and local conditions on this website and call ahead for current information. Operations vary based on local public health conditions.
  • Consistent with CDC recommendations, all visitors (age 2 and older), who are fully vaccinated are required to wear a mask inside of federal buildings in areas of substantial or high community transmission.. All visitors who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces.
  • Most importantly, stay home if you feel sick and continue to watch for symptoms of COVID-19 and follow CDC guidance on how to protect yourself and others.


Features

  • Volunteers-rotator-rock2

    Have a WILD time!

    No matter what your talents or interests, we can use YOU as a Refuge Volunteer!

    Become a Refuge Volunteer

  • wildlifedrive-rotator-lewis

    Experience our Wildlife Drive

    The Murphy Peterson Wildlife Drive offers incredible experiences in wildlife viewing year-round

    Murphy Peterson Wildlife Drive

  • rotator-NWRVC-kowlok

    Gateway to eastern NC Refuges

    The National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center on Roanoke Island is open daily, year-round, is FREE, and offers the experience of a lifetime!

    National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center

  • rotator-2014 Interns-heffley

    Looking for an Internship?

    Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and other refuges in eastern North Carolina offer internship experiences rivaled by no others.

    Learn More about Internships

  • monarch_caterpillar

    Have Monarchs Arrived at Your House?

    Keep your eyes peeled. A great citizen science project tracks monarchs moving north. Report when you see the first butterfly, egg or larva.

    Track their progress.

News & Refuge Happenings

Information Bulletins and Newsletters

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Follow this link for access to the latest information bulletins and other current refuge information. You'll love our refuge complex newsletter, WINGS. It's full of colorful photos and articles about all that happens on the refuges.

News Releases and Newsletters

Recent Bird Sightings

eBird Trail Tracker

eBird Trail Tracker ... Discover and report recent bird sightings on the refuge using Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird Trail Tracker.

eBird Tracker

Interpretive Programs

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Fall, winter and spring Alligator River Refuge offers an open-air tram tour, 1st Saturday of every month, 9-11 am. $10/person, reservations required. Call 252-216-9464 Pea Island Refuge has a free Friday bird walk 8-9:30 am. No reservations required.

Wings Over Water

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There is no Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival in 2021. Look to next year and mark your calendar for October 18-23 and December 9-11, 2022. Click on link below for more details.

Wings Over Water
Refuge Policy on Drones

Drone Policy

National Wildlife Refuge Policy on Drones (Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Areas considered ecologically sensitive—including lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System, host to threatened or even endangered species—can be disproportionately affected by drone flights. Thus it is illegal to operate unmanned aircraft on Refuge property without special permits. For more details

Refuge Drone Policy Details

About the Complex

Coastal North Carolina National Wildlife Refuges Complex

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Coastal North Carolina National Wildlife Refuges Complex.

Read more about the complex
About the NWRS

National Wildlife Refuge System

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The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants.

Learn more about the NWRS
Follow NWRS Online