This Northeastern North Carolina county - surrounded by the Pamlico Sound, the Alligator and Pungo Rivers, home to North Carolina's largest natural lake --Lake Mattamuskeet--, and bisected by the Intracoastal Waterway - is known as "the land of many waters". Ocracoke Island, once home to the pirate Blackbeard and now a tourist Mecca, is accessible only by air or water.

With four national wildlife refuges covering over 115,000 acres (including 50, 181 acres of Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge) within its bounds, the county is a haven for nature study, bird-watching, hunting, fishing and pursuing a quieter way of life.

Hyde County is one of North Carolina's largest by acreage but has under 5500 residents. Mainland residents make their living farming or commercial fishing while Ocracokians depend heavily on the tourist industry. The county seat of Swan Quarter, and other communities such as Engelhard, Fairfield, Ponzer, Sladesville and Scranton and the quaint village of Ocracoke lay claim to the fact that there is not one stoplight in the entire county! Take "the road less traveled" and visit this unspoiled country.

 

Sound Feet Shoes

Sound Feet Shoes

Sound Feet Shoes is family owned and operated. Sound Feet has been in the retail shoe business for over 60 years, opening their first store in 1953. They provide the best customer service and are the only Outer Banks’ area full service shoe store since 1987. Now, the family owned business boasts eight stores in the region, including two outlets. Their shoe specialists can help you find the right fit and comfort for your family’s needs.

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Downtown Waterfront Market

Downtown Waterfront Market

The seasonally open Downtown Waterfront Market is a great locale for shoppers, art aficionados, and foodies to come together in an outdoor, homegrown environment that features the very best products that Albemarle residents have to offer. An all-encompassing cornucopia of baked goods, fresh fruits and veggies, seafood, local crafts, jewelry, and so much more, the Downtown Waterfront Market is a widely diverse haven for all things fresh, local, and distinctly Elizabeth City.

Columbia, NC

Columbia, NC

The small town of Columbia, located approximately 45 miles west of the Outer Banks, is a rising star along the central North Carolina coastline. An anchor of the informally named "Inner Banks" region, this small community of less than 1,000 residents is slowly becoming a destination all its own, even landing a feature article in North Carolina's renowned Our State Magazine. The sudden growing interest is due to a number of features, not the least of which are breathtaking scenery, incredible wildlife, and a host of attractions, both old and new, that are ripe for exploring.