Visit Nags Head Nature Preserve on Your Outer Banks Vacation

Looking for something to do on your Outer Banks vacation? Why not check out this enticing little pathway leading into a beautiful forest. For those nature lovers, walkers, joggers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, head to Nags Head and visit Nags Head Woods Preserve. You don’t want to miss this tucked away little gem!

Tucked away on the Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills border, hidden from everyday sight, is a wondrous place full of beauty. Nags Head Woods Preserve, part of The Nature Conservancy, is a 1200 acre maritime forest that was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1974.

The unique habitat offered by Nags Head Woods Preserve placed it at the top of the list of priorities for The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina. From 1978 to 1997, The Nature Conservancy worked with local families, partnered with local municipalities and purchased land from individuals and companies to obtain, and maintain, the acreage that it currently holds. The goal of protecting this fragile ecosystem is still underway and has been largely successful. The Nature Conservancy also oversees the programs and both terrestrial and marine research conducted in Nags Head Wood Preserve, as well as provides trails for locals and visitors to enjoy the preserve.

Nags Head Woods was originally a thriving village community during the 19th century through the 19030s. During its heyday, the village held 13 home-sites, 2 churches, a school, a store, farms, a gristmill and a shingle factory. Signs of the individuals who once made their homes in this forest are still visible for those looking; the forest still holds the artifacts from village life.

“Nags Head Woods features a diversity of plant and animal life that is unusual to find on a barrier island. Towering oaks, hickories, and beech trees, some hundreds of years old, rise from the sand and create a canopy of trees more typical of the mountains of the eastern United States. Over 100 species of birds have been documented at Nags Head Woods and over 50 bird species nest here. Fifteen species of amphibians and 28 species of reptiles have been documented as well. The freshwater ponds are inhabited by seven species of fish and many reptiles and amphibians in addition to a great diversity of floating aquatic plant life, including the rare water violet.” [excerpt taken from Outer Banks Visitors Bureau]

The outdoor information center at Nags Head Woods Preserve offers picnicking areas, trail maps, information on the preserve and the diverse ecosystem, and more. Admission into Nags Head Woods Preserve is free and parking is available at the information center.

In an effort to protect the sensitive diversity and also the history of Nags Head Wood Preserve, the 6 trails are limited to foot traffic only. If you’d like to bring your dog, bicycle or horse with you to visit the forest, please keep to the gravel roadway and off the trails. Trails are self-guided and are open during daylight hours. Be sure to stay safe on the trails. Take a map with you. Bring water and wear insect repellant. Please respect the sensitive ecosystem by not smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages and do not damage or remove any plants, animals, minerals or artifacts. Stay on the trails and know your own personal limits. Take only pictures; leave only footprints.

For more information, contact Nags Head Wood Preserve at (252) 441-2525. There are so many wonderful things to do on the Outer Banks, plan your vacation today by contacting Kitty Dunes Rentals at www.kittydunes.com. 

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