Facility Rules and Policies

Vehicle traffic is restricted to the beachfront only. The rest of the refuge is accessed by foot only to help prevent damage to the fragile dune ecosystem. 

Parking is allowed in designated parking areas only. No overnight parking is allowed on the refuge. All signage must be obeyed for safety and natural resource protection purposes. Signs delineate the Refuge boundaries, closed areas, hunting and archery zones as well as a Hunter Access Route. 

Hiking is allowed in all areas open to the public. Wildlife observation and photography are encouraged. Please stay out of closed areas to minimize disturbance to plants and animals. Bug spray, sunscreen and drinking water are musts. There are no facilities on Currituck NWR. 

Prohibited activities include: littering, cutting and/or removing vegetation, taking or collecting plants, animals, flowers, nuts, berries, or any other items, baiting or feeding wildlife, including the Corolla Wild Horses, all commercial activities, pets off-leash. There is no waste disposal on the refuge; carry out what you carried in. 

The ‘Corolla Wild Horses’, feral mammals that are not a natural component of the barrier island, are occasionally seen and must only be viewed from a distance. It is unlawful to harm, approach, feed or kill any wild horse on the Refuge.