Albemarle Area Fishing Tournament Calendar
| Rock & Bass fishing. |
Pamlico-Neuse Fishing Tournament Calendar
| Inshore tournaments. Bass & Rock fishing. |
Amity Church
Engelhard, Hyde County
Built in 1850, Amity Church is one of Hyde County's architectural treasurers and the best example of a Greek Revival Church in the county. The church has undergone some twentieth century alterations but still retains many of the original features including a balcony which extends along 3 sides which was referred to as the slave gallery.The original outside shutters are of one piece construction with slats that open and close to control the amount of light. A chandelier has been refurbished and converted to electricity. Outside, the church is surrounded on 3 sides by its cemetery with graves from the 19 and 20th century. The church is one of 10 historic sites on the Hyde County Talking Houses and Historic Places driving tour. These sites are equipped with am radio transmitters which you can tune to from the convenience of your car to learn the history of the area. Amity Church is also on the Historic Lake Landing Landmarks riding tour. Hyde County
Alligator River Canoe and Small Boat Trail
Fairfield, Hyde County
This 21 mile trail is part of the Albemarle Region Canoe and Small Boat Trails System. It is made to order for the endurance canoeist who wishes to test himself. This beautiful stream winds through brackish marshes with picturesque snags left from a former forest. It is composed of three section, the first from the access off North Carolina Highway 94 to the landing at Kilkenny located on State Road 1322 in Tyrrell County. The second section continues on to another access located on North Carolina Highway 94 near the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge in Hyde County. The third continues up either New Lake Fork or the headwaters of the Alligator River. Sections 2 & 3 cross the Intracoastal Waterway, which during certain times of the year is heavy with yacht traffic. Hyde County
Alligator River
Columbia, Hyde County
Atlantic Ocean Resort Beaches of the Outer Banks
Carova Beach ,Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Hatteras Island, Ocracoke Island, and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore
British Cemetery
Ocracoke Island
Much activity took place off the shores of Ocracoke Island during World War II. In May of 1942, the H. M. S. Bedfordshire, one of the armed British trawlers on loan to the United States, sailed out of Morehead City, NC along with her sister escort, the H. M. S. Zeno and joined a convoy of merchant ships to escort them to safe anchorage at Hatteras, NC, some 60 miles away. Exactly what happened next is uncertain, but the last communication from the Bedfordshire was on May 11. It is thought that the Bedfordshire was torpedoed and sunk. On May 14, the bodies of two of her crew were spotted in the surf off Ocracoke Island. The bodies were subsequently identified as sublieutenant Thomas Cunningham, Royal Navy Reserve, and Ordinary Telegraphist Stanley Craig, Royal Navy. They were buried in a small plot of ground adjacent to Alice Wahab Williams family cemetery on Ocracoke. A week later, two more bodies were found, but not identified, and were lain to rest next to Cunningham and Craig. The small cemetery, its grounds kept beautifully landscaped and manicured by the U. S. Coast Guard, perpetually flies a British flag provided each year by the Queen of England. The cemetery is open to the public with no admission charge. This site is one of 10 historic sites on the Hyde County Talking Houses and Historic Places driving tour. These sites are equipped with am radio transmitters which you can tune to from the convenience of your car to learn the history of the area. British Cemetery
The Banker Ponies
Ocracoke Island
Legend has it that the ancestors of the ponies found on Ocracoke Island today came from shipwrecked vessels in the Graveyard of the Atlantic, or from Spanish explorers DeSoto or Cortez. Historians seem to think the ponies came with the Raleigh expeditions and were left on Roanoke Island. The current day ponies are fenced in and cared for by the National Park Service and can be seen grazing on the sparse grasses of the island. Ocracoke Island ponies
Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Ocracoke Visitor Center
Ocracoke Island
The Ocracoke Visitor Center seeks to educate visitors about the cultural heritage and natural history of the island. Exhibits focus on the Life Saving Station, the Ocracoke Lighthouse, pirate activity there, Ocracoke's role in the Civil War and in World War II, its British Cemetery, the native horses and other wildlife, and early tourism. Ocracoke Visitor Center
Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Wright Brothers National Memorial, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Ocracoke Island Lighthouse
Outer Banks
Stretched over 70 miles of barrier islands, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a fascinating combination of natural and cultural resources and provides a wide variety of recreational and research opportunities relating to the cultural history and natural heritage of the Outer Banks, shipwrecks, lighthouses, and the U.S. Lifesaving Service. Main offices and research facilities for Fort Raleigh, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Bodie Island Lighthouse, the Wright Brothers Memorial, and the Ocracoke Lighthouse are located at the Fort Raleigh facility. Preserves and protects 75 miles along North Carolina's Outer Banks. National park includes Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and visitors centers at Buxton (year-round), Bodie Island and Ocracoke (seasonal). Free. Fee for camping. Cape Hatteras National Seashore recreation.gov
Cape Hatteras National Seashore & Ocracoke Campground
Ocracoke Island
Cape Hatteras was the first National Seashore in the country. It extends from Nags Head to Ocracoke Inlet and includes 13 miles of pristine beach on Ocracoke Island. Local folks call this area "the park" and it offers a wide variety of activities such as birding, boating, camping, cycling, fishing, surfing, swimming, seashelling and wind-boarding! For a wonderful look at nature, visit the Hammock Hills Nature Trail on the island. Local shops on the island offer a variety of rentals such as bikes, kayaks, wind boards, etc.to help you explore this area. Ocracoke Island has the uniqueness of having the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Pamlico Sound on the other. These factors give the visitor a choice of water activities, depending on their abilities. There is also a National Park Campground on the island, situated between the two bodies of water with easy highway access nearby. Cape Hatteras National Seashore
The Church Moved by the Hand of God
SwanQuarter, Hyde County
Since the late 19th century, Providence United Methodist Church has been known as ''The Church Moved by the Hand of God.'' Although in the ensuing years the story of this 'miracle' seems to have gotten the actual facts a little mixed up, no one can deny that the simple frame building at the rear of the present brick church seemed to be destined by fate. Somewhat frustrated when their efforts to obtain their chosen site on which to build a church were rebuffed by the land owner, Samuel R. Sadler, the group built on another lot in the village. On September 16, 1876, as their new church was being dedicated, a hurricane hit the village. Reportedly, heavy rains and wind tide pushed in from the Pamlico Sound and flooded the town, until the village and surrounding area were under five feet of water. The winds were strong and relentless, and the new church building was floated off its brick pilings and began the journey which gives the story credence. The church traveled north and then east, eventually reaching the exact piece of property the congregation had earlier attempted to purchase. After turning itself around facing Main Street, the church settled onto this higher piece of ground and remained there. Title to the land was eventually obtained in 1881. The Church Moved by the Hand of God holds regular worship services and the public is invited to attend. The church is one of 10 historic sites on the Hyde County Talking Houses and Historic Places driving tour. These sites are equipped with am radio transmitters which you can tune to from the convenience of your car to learn the history of the area. Hyde County
Deepwater Theater
Ocracoke Island
Since 1993, the Molasses Creek band has delighted audiences worldwide with their traditional bluegrass and folk tunes. Deepwater Theater is Molasses Creek's own theater on Ocracoke Island, NC. Molasses Creek will perform on Thursdays and the ''Ocrafolk Opry'' will perform on Wednesdays until the week of June 20th. Molasses Creek will then add a Tuesday performace and ''Ocrafolk Opry'' will continue on Wednesdays throughout the summer. Visit our website for a schedule. molassescreek.com
Gull Rock Gameland
SwanQuarter, Hyde County
This North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's Game Lands Program encompasses 19,436 acres in central Hyde County. Fox, dove, quail, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon, deer, waterfowl and warm water fish may be hunted/caught in season. You need appropriate game lands license in addition to the appropriate hunting/trapping licenses. nature.org
Hyde County Courthouse
SwanQuarter, Hyde County
The courthouse building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was completed in the 1850s. It was remodeled and annexes were added in 1878, 1909, 1950 and again in 1962. The Register of Deeds office inside the courthouse is a poplar stop for genealogy-buffs. The courthouse is one of 10 historic sites on the Hyde County Talking Houses and Historic Places driving tour. These sites are equipped with am radio transmitters which you can tune to from the convenience of your car to learn the history of the area. Hyde County
Intracoastal Waterway
Camden County, Elizabeth City, Currituck County, Hyde County, Belhaven, Oriental, Morehead City, Beaufort, Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle, Swansboro, Sneads Ferry, North Topsail Beach, Surf City, Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Southport, Oak Island, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach
Lake Mattamuskeet Canoe and Small Boat Trail
SwanQuarter, Hyde County
This 9-mile trail is part of the Albemarle Region Canoe and Small Boat Trails System. It is located on the south shore of Lake Mattamuskeet. The lake is part of Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge and is a year round home to many species of waterfowl. During the migratory season the number increases dramatically, but canoe access is prohibited from November until March. Offering a wonderful family outing, this area is protected even for the beginner. Hyde County
Lake Mattamuskeet
SwanQuarter, Hyde County
This Hyde County lake is North Carolina's largest natural lake. It averages only two feet in depth, but it is 18 miles long and 5-6 miles wide, containing about 40,000 acres. It is located on Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service bears the responsibility for the protection and management of the many wildlife forms found on and in the lake. Boating and sport fishing for large mouth bass, striped bass, catfish, bream, crappie and other species is permitted on the lake and adjacent canals from March 1 through November 1 each year. Herring dipping and blue crab fishing are also a very poplar sport. During the fall and winter, concentrations of Canada geese, tundra swans and ducks of many species are abundant on the lake. The endangered bald eagle also makes the lake its home. Other wildlife such as white-tailed deer, marsh and cottontail rabbis, gray squirrels and black bear are found around the lake. Lake Mattamuskeet
Historic Lake Landing Driving Tour
Engelhard, Hyde County
A driving tour of the Lake Landing National Register Historic District comprising 13,400 acres in eastern Hyde County. The entire district is part of the early eighteenth century Mattamuskeet Indian Reservation. By the late 1720s European settlers received land patents or purchased reservation land from the Indians and began growing crops and building houses. Today, this agricultural district represents a superior example of surviving rural architectural heritage. Hyde County
Mattamuskeet Lodge
SwanQuarter, Hyde County
Mattamuskeet Lodge is on Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, on North Carolina's largest natural lake, Lake Mattamuskeet. In November 2000, Mattamuskeet Lodge was closed to the public; however, visitors may still visit the grounds and learn the unique story of the Lodge. At the time is was completed in 1915, it was the largest pumping station in the world. Plans for the town of New Holland were laid out around the pumping station as a great effort was made to drain and farm the lake. Four huge centrifugal pumps were installed to pump water from the lake into a canal that was dug a distance of some seven miles from the Pamlico Sound. After several attempts to drain the lake failed, in 1932 the pumping plant was shut down and the lake began to refill. The property was sold to the U. S. Government in 1934 and soon after, the Civilian Conservation Corps (known as the ''CCC'' boys) helped to set up the refuge and convert the pumping plant into a rustic hunting lodge. Thus began a new era for this historic building and Hyde County, which soon became known as the ''Canada Goose Hunting Capitol of the World.'' Mattamuskeet Lodge opened in November 1937 and until the early 1970's hunters came from throughout the world to stay in the Lodge and hunt plentiful game. The Lodge closed in 1974 and was eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. It went mostly unused and falling into a state of disrepair until 1991 when ''Friends of Mattamuskeet Lodge,'' along with other organizations such as the Greater Hyde County Chamber of Commerce, the Partnership for the Sounds, and East Carolina University became involved in plans to turn it into an educational center with interpretative exhibits as well as a gathering place for the community. Mattamuskeet Lodge is on the Historic Albemarle Tour. This building is also one of 10 historic sites on the Hyde County Talking Houses and Historic Places driving tour. These sites are equipped with am radio transmitters which you can tune to from the convenience of your car to learn the history of the area. mattamuskeet/lodge
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
SwanQuarter, Hyde County
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1934 primarily as a resting and breeding area for migratory birds. It is one of over 500 national wildlife refuges protected and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services for the benefit of wildlife species and their habitats. The refuge consists of 50,180 acres of water, marsh, timber and croplands and North Carolina's largest natural lake, Lake Mattamuskeet. The refuge is open to the public for wildlife viewing, hunting and fishing. Great photo opportunities available. Several prime wildlife viewing areas available. Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge"> recreation.gov
NCDOT Ferry System: Cedar Island / Ocracoke
Cedar Island - Ocracoke Island
Cedar Island is a small fishing village on NC Hwy 12 in eastern North Carolina. It is known for its seafood, wild horses and unique way of life. This beautiful little village is also the home of the Cedar Island to Ocracoke Ferry; this route is a 22-mile run and takes approximately two hours and fifteen minutes. Ocracoke is a tiny island community with huge things to offer its visitors: outstanding surfing and fishing, including several charter fishing services, beautiful beaches, one of the state's oldest lighthouses, and unique shopping opportunities. There are over a dozen motels, numerous rental properties, and many outstanding restaurants for travelers to vist during their stay. Whether you travel by bicycle, car or even walk on your visit to this picturesque section of our coast, you will not soon forget Cedar Island and Ocracoke.Reservations for this route are strongly recommended. ## Ocracoke is a tiny island community with huge things to offer its visitors: outstanding surfing and fishing, including several charter fishing services, beautiful beaches, one of the state's oldest lighthouses, and unique shopping opportunities. This beautiful little village is also the home of the Ocracoke to Cedar Island; this route is a 22-mile run and takes approximately two hours and fifteen minutes. Cedar Island is a small fishing village on NC Hwy 12 in eastern North Carolina. It is known for its seafood, wild horses and unique way of life and is a quaint, memborable part of North Carolina's Crystal Coast. Whether you travel by bicycle, car or even walk on your visit to this picturesque section of our coast, you will not soon forget Ocracoke or Cedar Island. Reservations for this route are strongly recommended. North Carolina Ferry System
NCDOT Ferry System: Ocracoke /SwanQuarter
Ocracoke Island - Hyde County
North Carolina Ferry System
NCDOT Ferry System: Hatteras / Ocracoke
Hatteras Island - Ocracoke Island
North Carolina Ferry System
Outer Banks Fishing Tournament Calendar
| Offshore and inshore tournaments. Surf fishing. |
Ocracoke Lighthouse
Ocracoke Island
The Ocracoke Lighthouse is a 75-foot sturdy, whitewashed tower built of brick with a concrete veneer exterior. The walls of the lighthouse are five feet thick at the base. Work on the lighthouse was actually completed in 1823. The total cost for the lighthouse and other buildings around its base was less than $12,000.00. For more than 175 years, its beacon has shown out across this remote island and across the treacherous waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It has braved countless storms and weathered many hardships. Its bright light is visible 14 miles at sea. It has led generations of sailors home and has become a symbol of the independent islanders who have made Ocracoke their home for more than 200 years. The interior of the lighthouse is not open to the public but wonderful photo opportunities are available on the grounds. Historic Ocracoke is on the Historic Albemarle Tour. The lighthouse is also one of 10 historic sites on the Hyde County Talking Houses and Historic Places driving tour. These sites are equipped with am radio transmitters which you can tune to from the convenience of your car to learn the history of the area. Ocracoke Light
Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum - Historic Ocracoke
Ocracoke Island
Many threads of history have been woven together into the fabric of life of this small barrier island community. Over 200 homes and buildings make up the historic district and have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Ocracoke Lighthouse, built in 1823, is the oldest continuously operating light on the eastern seaboard. The Union Jack proudly flies over the British Cemetery where sailors from World War II rest in peace. Native islanders speak in what is called the Ocracoke brogue, a rich dialect derived from the early Scots-Irish settlers who colonized much of the Eastern seaboard during the 18th century. Their unique speech is only part of the magic of this special island. With the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum as your starting point, whether you stroll down a sandy, tree-shaded lane, relax on an isolated bit of beach, or visit one of many fine shops or restaurants your experience will be memorial. Historic Ocracoke is on the Historic Albemarle Tour. ## The Ocracoke Preservation Society rescued a 100 year-old house which was threatened by new construction in the area. Ocracoke author and historian Ellen Fulcher Cloud worked with the developers, the National Park Service, and a legion of local volunteers to relocate and restore the two-story structure built by David Williams, the first keeper of the Ocracoke lifesaving Station. The building now houses the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum and The Museum Store, offering visitors a glimpse of what life was like in earlier times through displays, artifacts, and historic photographs. The Preservation Society offices, the museum and the Museum Store are open to the public from Easter to Thanksgiving, and by appointment during the remaining portion of the year. ## The Ocracoke Preservation Society is a nonprofit, community-based organization dedicated to the preservation of Ocracoke Island's rich historical, cultural, and environmental heritage. The David Williams House was built around the year 1900. Its first occupant David Williams was the first captain of the Coast Guard Life-Saving Station of Ocracoke. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1989, it was moved to its present location on National Park Service property to prevent its demolition and was subsequently restored. The ground floor rooms have been converted to a museum. The second floor contains a research library and administrative offices. In midsummer, talks about local historic subjects are given on the back porch. ocracokemuseum.org
Outer Banks Scenic Byway
Ocracoke Island
The Outer Banks Scenic Byway is one of 44 Scenic Byways that the North Carolina Department of Transportation has designated to give visitors and residents a chance to experience a bit of North Carolina history, geography and culture while raising awareness for the protection and preservation of these treasures. From Whalebone Junction on the Outer Banks of NC, this 111 miles byway travels south along North Carolina Highway 12, on bridges and ferries across several inlets, and ending in Beaufort, NC. The Hyde County portion of this byway begins as you board the free ferry on Hatteras Island and ends on Ocracoke Island as you board a toll ferry to Cedar Island. The crossing time for the Hatteras Inlet to Ocracoke Island is about 35 minutes. The present Hatteras Inlet opened in 1846. Notice the wild horses while following North Carolina Highway 12 for 13 miles along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore across Ocracoke Island to the village of Ocracoke. The animals are Banker Ponies, descendants of horses brought by early explorers on ships wrecked in the Atlantic. A herd also is maintained on the islands south of Beaufort. Ocracoke was first called Wococon in the 1500s (when it was an Indian village) and has since gone through a series of names derived from the Algonquian for ''enclosed place.'' One of the oldest operating lighthouses on the Atlantic is located on Silver Lake, a tidal basin and harbor in the village of Ocracoke. The 75-foot tall Ocracoke Island Lighthouse was built in 1823 and is the only operational lighthouse within a town. The Ocracoke Inlet, once North Carolina's primary trade inlet, was the site of the death of the notorious pirate, Blackbeard, who was killed on November 22, 1718. From Ocracoke Inlet, the Cedar Island ferry to Carteret County is a 2.5 hour ride to continue the Outer Banks Scenic Byway, or travel the Alligator River or Pamlico Scenic Byways by taking the toll ferry to Swan Quarter. Hyde County
Octagon House
Engelhard, Hyde County
Some call the Octagon House the ''round house,'' others call it the ''inkwell.'' Stories vary as to why the builder, Dr. William T. Sparrow, decided to build a house with eight sides. The most poplar story was that he had previously lost a house of conventional shape to a hurricane, and he felt that a house with eight sides would better resist the wind. In recent years, a group of concerned citizens formed the Octagon House Restoration, Inc., to preserve this unusual house.When historians delved into the history of the house, it was learned that there was probably another reason for building a house with eight sides. During the 1850s, a fad developed in the United States for building of eight-sided dwellings. This fad accelerated and was believed influenced by a book entitled ''The Octagon House - A Home For All.'' The book was written by phrenologist, Orson S. Fowler, of New York. The book circulated throughout this country, France and England, and China. One chapter in the book details the building of an octagon house that conforms to the dimensions of this house which was built in 1857. When the cypress shingles which had been on the house since the 1890s were removed, it revealed that on the sides where there were no windows, there were markings of false windows. This was a distinguishing characteristic of a Fowler design. The preservation group then decided to retain the false windows and restore the outside walls to stucco and plaster the inside walls as they had been originally. The original wood floors have been kept where possible. Four different fireplaces are served by a central chimney. There are six rooms with a hall both up and down stairs. This unique building is one of only two of its kind in North Carolina that were built in the 19th century. Dr. William T. Sparrow was born in Craven County in 1825. He married Elizabeth Jennett of Hyde County sometime before 1847. The property on which the house stands was originally owned by the Jennett family. One of Dr. Sparrow's present-day descendants has written: ''he has been called eccentric, as someone who loved phrenology and octagonal houses could be called, but he certainly was not an ordinary nineteenth century man.'' This house is one of 10 historic sites on the Hyde County Talking Houses and Historic Places driving tour. These sites are equipped with am radio transmitters which you can tune to from the convenience of your car to learn the history of the area. The Octagon House is also on the Historic Lake Landing Landmarks riding tour. Currently, the site is occupied by the Partnership for the Sounds and is open 2 days per week. Call for hours. Hyde County
Pamlico Sound
Hatteras Island, Ocracoke Island, Hyde County, Cedar Island, Oriental
Pamlico River
Washington, Aurora, Bath, Belhaven, Hyde County
Pungo River
Belhaven, Hyde County
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge and Gull Rock
Hyde County
Swan Quarter Refuge is 16,411 acres of salt marsh island and forested wetlands interspersed with potholes, creeks, and drains. Marsh vegetation is dominated by black needlerush and sawgrass. The mainland is forested by loblolly pine, pond pine, and bald cypress. Approximately 8,800 acres are part of the National Wilderness preservation System and as such is protected from all construction, drainage, and managed timber practices which guarantees the integrity of these invaluable wildlands for years to come. The refuge provides wintering habitat for hundreds of black ducks, mergansers, bufflehead, ruddy ducks and thousands of canvasbacks, redheads, surf scoters, and scaup. Additionally, it provides nesting habitat for osprey, black ducks, and colonial waterbirds and supports one of the northernmost populations of the American alligator. Bald eagles use the area in the winter and may find nesting habitat on the refuge. Mammals such as white-tailed deer, raccoons, swamp rabbits, river otter, and occasionally black bear use the refuge too. Visitors can enjoy such recreational opportunities as wildlife observation, fishing, and waterfowl hunting. Visitors are welcome to hike or bike through the two undeveloped trails on the refuge during daylight hours. A 1,000-foot fishing pier is available along with fishing by boat around the marsh edges. A 6,120 acre area of marsh is open to duck and coot hunting in accordance with applicable State and Federal regulations. Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge nature.org recreation.gov
