Explore the sound, town, wildlife refuges and historic sites of Roanoke Island with guided tours for foot, paddle, boat or plane travel. The variety within Roanoke Island’s tours and similarr things to do in Manteo, NC, deliver experiences that delight a wide range of interests. Take a walking tour through the remains of the Lost Colony. Discover downtown Manteo through your sense of taste. Nature lovers set off on hikes deep into wildlife refuges or eco-cruises in the sound. See dolphins playing by climbing aboard a dolphin cruise. With so many tours to choose from, every visitor should find something that tickles their curiosity.
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Tours 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
Tours in Manteo, NC
In the roundabout at the intersection of Sir Walter Raleigh and Bideford streets, a part of the community's African-American heritage is being preserved and interpreted with a statue and a museum. A life-sized bronze statue of Richard Etheridge, the first African-American United States Life-Saving Service Keeper at Pea Island Station on the Outer Banks, is in the roundabout's median. Adjacent, the Pea Island Cookhouse Museum...read more
Tours in Manteo, NC
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is the only place in the world where endangered red wolves exist in the wild. To learn more about the endangered red wolf, the Red Wolf Recovery Program and to hear them howl, attend a howling. Howlings are held June through August on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Reservations are not required. Bring a flashlight and insect repellent. Summer...read more
Tours 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
Tours in Roanoke Island, NC
Roanoke Island Outfitters and Dive Center is a full-service dive shop that offers dive charters, beach dives, training, gear sales and rentals. They specialize in scuba diving, spearfishing and snorkeling. For rentals, they offer free delivery on Roanoke Island for standup paddleboards (SUP) and kayaks and will deliver to Nags Head, Pea Island or Alligator River for a fee. Or take the kayak or SUP...read more
Tours 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
Tours in Manteo, NC
Attention all thrillseekers! Jumping from a plane at 9,000 feet should get your endorphins flowing — and you get the bonus of a bird’s-eye view of Roanoke Island. Skydive OBX offers tandem skydives for ages 18 and older. You jump strapped in a harness with an instructor, so the adventure requires only minimal training for the customer. The free fall is 30 seconds, and the...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
Tours in Manteo, NC
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s LEED–certified visitor center is on the north end of Roanoke Island near the entrance to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. The center provides information on the 11 National Wildlife Refuges and one National Fish Hatchery in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia and helps visitors plan adventures to some of these wild places. The mission of the center is...read more
Tours in Nags Head, NC
Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival is an annual six-day celebration devoted to celebrating the wild side of the Outer Banks and the surrounding region. Held in October, the festival offers almost 100 programs in themes ranging from birding and wildlife photography to paddling, natural history and more. It’s a fun and educational event for the whole family, and since it takes place in the shoulder...read more
