Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge - Fun for the Whole Family, Fido 2!

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
photo by OB at Pampered Pets Guide

Driving south on NC Highway 12 through the scenic Outer Banks, most people think they are traveling through the over 70 miles of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and never expect to find a National Wildlife Refuge along the way.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is about 10 miles south of Nags Head, NC, and four miles south of the New Marc Basnight Bridge (2019), replacing the old Bonner Bridge, AKA the Oregon Inlet Bridge. 

Bordered on both sides by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is 13 miles long. The refuge has been a haven for migratory birds, over 350 bird species, nesting turtles, fish, shellfish, fox, rabbits, and diverse wildlife of all kinds to include plants, since 1938. The refuge stretches from Sea to Sound.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

14500 NC Highway 12

Rodanthe, NC 27968

(252) 987-2394

Restrooms & a Visitor Center with wonderful exhibits & a gift shop with

memorable souvenirs. Nice area to take pets potty also (please clean up after your pet), please be aware of the sand spurs.

Also, please be aware that the pet/dog rules are very different at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge than the Cape Hatteras National Seashore pet rules.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Leashes are not to exceed 6 ft in length. 

Pets are not allowed on designated swim beaches or inside buildings.

The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge - Domestic Pet Rules https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Pea_Island/visit/rules_and_regulations.html

Leashes are not to exceed 10 ft in length.

Pets are allowed in the parking lot and adjacent area at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center only on the West Side and welcome on the East Side (Atlantic Ocean) beach. Pets are not allowed inside buildings or on the West Side (Sound Side) of the Outer Banks Penisula to include Nature Trails.

So what makes the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge oceanfront different than the Cape Hatteras National Seashore? Why would you want to gather your family, leash your pet and cross the pedestrian walk to the ocean across from the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center?

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Ships are still running aground on the Outer Banks today, and the most recent was the "Ocean Pursuit," a commercial fishing vessel over 70 ft long ran ashore during a storm in March of 2020 and was just recently removed in November of 2021.

But what you can view on the oceanfront at the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge dates back to May 16, 1862. Then, a 210 ft tanker enlisted by the federal government during the Civil War ran aground. This Steamer was named "The Oriental," which had cargo and ammunition that left New York and was en route to South Carolina. The Top of the Tanker still protrudes through the Atlantic surf and repetitive waves today, a reminder of a period in time that will live forever in history books but can be seen by you today.

The OBX has so many historical landmarks mixed in with the unspoiled nature that surrounds it that it stands out as an almost magical place to stand and take in your surroundings. So please come & bring your whole family Fido & other Pampered Pets to the Outer Banks.

In the Pet-Friendly Outer Banks, there is so much to explore. Outer Banks Pet-Friendly Places