Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge In North Carolina Is Among The Nation’s 10 Best

The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge In Rodanthe, North Carolina Is Among The Nation's 10 Best Wildlife Refuge's according to USA Today and its readers. According to US Fish and Wildlife Services "the National Wildlife Refuge System is the largest and most diverse network of lands and waters dedicated to ensuring the long-term future of America’s rich fish and wildlife heritage."

The entirety of the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge system includes some 150 million acres of land and water habitat throughout 570 refuges. And each state is home to at minimum one refuge. And perhaps more importantly 380 plants and animals listed as endangered or threatened are protected in these spaces.

So needless to say they are incredibly important to the ecosystems. Which makes it even more special that we here in North Carolina are home to such a beloved wildlife refuge in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The US Fish and Wildlife Services indicate that the "Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938" with the intention "to provide nesting, resting, and wintering habitat for migratory birds". It's home to endangered species such as the loggerhead sea turtles and located on Hatteras Island part of the Outer Banks. Of course taking in the wildlife and birds specifically is a main draw of the area.

Guests can stop by the Visitor Center center for more information on popular activities. This includes things like hiking one of several refuge trails, fishing in the surf or the sound, or just relaxing on the beach. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge ranked at the 9th best Wildlife Refuge in the USA Today 10best list.

The list is a part of the publication's ongoing 10best Readers Choice Awards. The nominees in the awards, which encompass a variety of categories, are submitted by a panel of experts. From there the USA Today 10best editors narrow the field to select the final nominees that are voted on by USA Today readers. Learn more and view the full USA Today 10best Wildlife Refuges here.

I spent a lot of my childhood traveling to different National Parks in both the US and Canada on summer vacations.  And for the most part I can honestly say I did not appreciate it at the time. But now my world has started to come full circle and my friends are starting to choose to visit the places I went as a child. But what are the nation's best National Parks? The travel experts at Conde Nast Traveler ranked the 25 best National Parks and 3 of them are within driving distance of North Carolina.

And that is saying something considering many of the often thought of a "best" National Parks are out west. You immediately think of places like Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona), Yellowstone (Wyoming), Grand Teton (Wyoming), and Yosemite (California). On the east coast the first one that comes to my mind is Acadia National Park in Maine.

Each of those understandably made Conde Nast Traveler's list. And while all those are fantastic places to visit (many would call them must see parts of America), they are costly if visiting from NC. While I guess theoretically you could drive, it would require a significant time investment, one many of us just don't have to commit. Which is why it's great news that 3 of those top 25 National Parks are within driving distance of the great state of North Carolina.

While none of them are in either of the Carolinas all three of these destinations are a reasonable drive. You'll find each of those three below and learn a little more about them. Interested in reading the top 25? You can find that here via Conde Nast Traveler. Have you been? Perhaps 2024 is the year you'll check one or more of these off your bucket list!

The closest national park, Great Smoky Mountain sits on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. It's actually America's most visited national park! Great Smoky Mountain National Park is known for its diversity of plant and animal life, the stunning beauty of the mountains, and that Southern Appalachian mountain culture. Learn more here.

Virginia's Shenandoah National Park is about 75 miles outside of Washington, D.C. According to the National Park Service it features "cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, fields of wildflowers, and quiet wooded hollows." Shenandoah National Park consists of more than 200,000 acres land that is home to animals such as  deer, songbirds, and black bears. Get more info here.

And finally we have southern West Virginia's New River Gorge National Park. It's highlighted by the whitewater river-the New River- that flows through the deep canyons that make up the park. The new river is one of the oldest rivers in North America. New River Gorge National Park is made up over over 70,000 acres with many scenic views and opportunities for recreation. Learn more here.