"Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is located between the Oregon Inlet and the village of Rodanthe. There is an information headquarters seven miles south of the inlet. The 6,000 acre refuge is a haven for more that 265 species of birds, such as Canadian Geese, snow geese, and 25 species of duck during the winter. From the spring to autumn, a large variety of wading, shore and upland birds can be seen. There are observation platforms located near the parking areas."

          "Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, located in Dare County, North Carolina, is one of over 500 national wildlife refuges nationwide administered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Though each refuge was established to provide habitat for certain primary species, each is managed to provide for a diversity of wildlife and opportunities for public enjoyment of these natural resources.

          Established in 1938 as a wintering sanctuary for waterfowl, Pea Island contains 5,915 acres of coastal barrier island and 25,700 acres of Proclamation Boundary Waters in the Pamlico Sound. Management of the refuge provides diverse habitat types including beach, dunes, salt marsh, fresh and brackish water ponds and salt flats.

          Animal populations here generally have more limiting factors than other places. On an island, solely on its ability to swim or fly. Survival largely relates to its ability to tolerate the harsh salt environment. Is it any wonder that our richest diversity of wildlife is among the avian populations and our least diverse, the amphibians, who would dehydrate in salt water?"

          "The Charles Kuralt Trail links together good sites to explore the natural character of the mid-Atlantic region. The refuges and hatchery, here and across the nation, provide many opportunities for people to enjoy wildlife-dependent recreation-wildlife observation, interpretation, environmental education, fishing, hunting, and nature photography."