To experience the bulk of Roanoke Island things to do, activities and attractions, you have to be willing to go outside. Walk the streets of the picturesque downtown waterfront before strolling along the soundside boardwalk. Charter a fishing trip out of Wanchese. Enjoy a guided cruise to see the sunset or dolphins playing in the sound. Rent a standup paddleboard, Jet Ski or kayak, and take in the sights from a watery vantage point. Go for a hike in wildlife refuge. Visit a working 1850s-era farm. There’s no shortage of things to do in Manteo, NC, that embrace the great outdoors.
Featured for Your Visit
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Roanoke Island, NC
Milltail Road, off U.S. Highway 64, Manteo
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is a more than 164,000-acre refuge on the mainland portion of Dare and Hyde counties. It was established in 1984 to preserve and protect a unique wetland habitat type, the pocosin, and its associated wildlife species. Pocosin is a Native American word meaning ‘swamp-on-a-hill’ and is characterized by poorly drained soils high in organic material. The refuge's diversity of habitat types includes high and low pocosin, bogs, fresh and brackish water marshes, hardwood swamps and Atlantic white cedar swamps. Plant species include pitcher plants and sundews, low bush cranberries, bays, Atlantic white cedar, pond pine, gums, red maple and a wide variety of herbaceous and shrub species common to the East Coast.
The refuge has a large population of black bears and is one of the few locations where red wolves exist in the wild. It is a favorite of migratory ducks, geese and swans, and its wildlife diversity also includes wading birds, shorebirds, American woodcock, raptors, American alligators, white-tailed deer, raccoons, rabbits, quail, river otters and neotropical migrant songbirds. This wild Outer Banks attraction will put you in touch with parts of nature that city-bound people don't often have a chance to experience.
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge has great Outer Banks things to do – paddling trails, a wildlife drive and two wildlife trails for you to explore. Hunting and fishing opportunities also exist on the refuge. In non-COVID times the staff offers a variety of interpretive programs at different times of the year, including tram and van tours, canoe tours, red wolf howlings and a program about black bears. Open-air tram tours are offered weekly June through August (a fee and reservations are required). Canoe tours are offered three days a week June through August (fee and reservations required). Red wolf howlings are offered weekly June through August and monthly October, November, December and April and May (a fee is required). Call (252) 216-9464 to see if programs are being held and to find out details and make reservations, or go to the website.
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is a more than 164,000-acre refuge on the mainland portion of Dare and Hyde counties. It was established in 1984 to preserve and protect a unique wetland habitat type, the pocosin, and its associated wildlife species. Pocosin is a Native American word meaning ‘swamp-on-a-hill’ and is characterized by poorly drained soils high in organic material. The refuge's diversity of habitat...read more
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is a more than 164,000-acre refuge on the mainland portion...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Manteo, NC
On Saturday mornings from mid-May through the early fall, Manteo's Downtown Market features home-grown, home-baked and homemade goods for sale. Pick up fresh herbs, produce or flowers and buy some local artwork or sweets, all in a beautiful waterfront setting next to the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. This makes a great family outing as there’s a playground next to the market area. The market is...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Roanoke Island, NC
This national historic site commemorates and preserves the first English attempts at colonization in the New World (1585 to 1587) and helps visitors gain a better understanding of other Roanoke Island histories including the Carolina Algonquian, the Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island, the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island and Reginald Fessenden's Roanoke Island experiments with wireless voice radio.
Pay a visit to the visitor...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Manteo, NC
Located on Roanoke Island, just five minutes from Manteo, Island Farm is a living history farm centered on the original Etheridge family property, once part of a 1,500-acre tract. Island Farm is alive with fields in production, animals working and live demonstrations going on throughout the day. In addition to an original farmhouse built in 1847 (one of the oldest on the island), you’ll find an array of...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Manteo, NC
A great place to stroll and pass some time is the boardwalk that winds along most of the Manteo waterfront. One end is quiet, with benches that look out over the sound and marsh grasses tickling the edges of the walk. The boardwalk stretches from Marshes Light development marina to downtown Manteo, past Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse and a children’s playground with swings and a pirate...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Manteo, NC
This 2-mile walkway and boarwalk extends from the Dare County Government Complex in Manteo to the Coastal Studies Institute in Skyco, meandering through scenic woodlands and along the marsh. It is dedicated to a remarkable African-American couple who owned and farmed the land surrounding the walkway and government complex. The walkway was funded and is maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).read more
Let someone else do the driving while you look for wildlife and listen to narration about the wildlife, plant life and history at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Bring your binoculars, camera, drinking water, snacks and insect repellent, and be sure to dress for the weather. The tram benches have no cushions, so you might want to bring a seat cushion, towel or blanket to...read more
Outer Banks Adventures offers a variety of guided outdoor adventures on the Outer Banks, including airboat rides, SUP tours and wildlife and bear tours in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The only airboat adventure tour on the islands, their one-hour airboat eco-tours cover 27 miles of the sound near Nags Head and Roanoke Island in their high-speed, open-air boat. Tours leave from Nags Head/Manteo Causeway...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Wanchese, NC
Walker Park has a baseball field, a softball field, a covered picnic pavilion, a tennis court and a playground. You'll find it in Wanchese on Pond Road, which is just off Old Wharf Road.read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Manteo, NC
Experience a new adventure in an old world at Roanoke Island Festival Park. This 25-acre historic site allows guests of all ages to experience first-hand what life was like for the first English settlers in 1585. Historic costumed interpreters are featured through Indian Town, the Settlement Site and the Elizabeth II ship to show and tell how the first settlers lived...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Manteo, NC
Originally a boathouse used to build world-record–holding speedboats, this building has seen a variety of boat-building uses in its day. The building’s double-wide doors and barn-like roominess create the perfect setting for this working boathouse museum. The Roanoke Island Maritime Museum is a treasure-trove of local seafaring history. Come inside for a look at some locally built boats and possibly to see boat building in...read more
Nature & Outdoor Oriented in Manteo, NC
Perched over the water along Manteo’s waterfront boardwalk, the picturesque Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is perfectly suited to the town’s maritime setting. This Victorian stick-style lighthouse is a reproduction of the third Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, which never stood on the Manteo waterfront but in the Croatan Sound from 1877 to 1955. Out there in the sound, the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse keepers lived on the lonely lighthouse...read more
Spend a day with family and friends on the beautiful Croatan Sound as Captain John Silver takes you to his backyard fishing grounds. You'll catch shrimp and crabs and create memories that will last a lifetime. Plus, you get to keep what you catch! Somerset Charters offers specialized private two-, three- or four-hour inshore crabbing and shrimping charters on the Miss Somerset II, a 36-foot...read more
