Blackbeard Island NWR will be closed to all public entry on November 30 and December 1 & 2, 2023 for the second of two annual archery hunts. Only hunters with valid refuge hunt permits and state hunting licenses will be allowed entry. The refuge will close at sunset on Wednesday, November 29 and will reopen at sunrise on Sunday, December 3.
In addition to protecting birds and other native wildlife from disturbance, the "no dogs" policy is also in place to protect your pup. The refuge is full of hidden dangers big (American alligators) and small (LOTS of ticks!). So please, while visiting this special place, be sure to do your part to protect wildlife, your pet, and your wallet (violators of this regulation will be ticketed and fined) by leaving all pets at home.
Click the link below for quick access to the refuge's hunting webpage where you can read and download refuge hunting regulations and purchase a refuge hunt permit.
Visit Us
National wildlife refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings. Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge offers a variety of opportunities to explore and enjoy the great outdoors. You can play in the surf, observe and photograph wildlife, hike or bicycle miles of forest trails, fish or, during the season, hunt white-tailed deer. Open daily from sunrise to sunset, the barrier island refuge is accessible only by boat. Transportation is not provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, therefore visitors must use personal watercraft or a local charter service. |
Location and Contact Information
What We Do
Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.
Our Species
Blackbeard Island NWR supports a wide diversity of wildlife, including about 240 species of breeding and wintering birds, at least 20 species of mammals, and an undetermined number of reptiles, amphibians, and fish. The refuge is within the range of several listed threatened or endangered wildlife species.