Nags Head Woods

Visited Nags Head Woods for some easy running and hiking Sat and Sun.

Nags Head Woods is considered one of the best remaining examples of a mid-Atlantic maritime forest with deciduous hardwoods. This pine and hardwood forest harbors trees up to 500 years old and has an extensive system of dunes, interdune ponds, and wetlands. The forest's great natural diversity is due to the fact that it draws water from an extensive freshwater aquifer and is sheltered by ancient dunes.

The preserve is also an important nesting area for more than 50 species of birds, including green heron, wood duck, red-shouldered hawk, clapper rail, ruby-throated hummingbird, pileated woodpecker, prothonotary warbler, and summer tanager. The freshwater ponds are inhabited by turtles and salamanders and support a great diversity of floating aquatic plant life, including the rare water violet.

An extensive marsh system bordering Roanoke Sound on the western side of the preserve supports a wealth of wildlife including river otter, muskrat, egrets, herons, and many species of migratory waterfowl.

I did a lot of training for Western States 2000 here and really fell in love with this place. We bought some property here in '03 (Walker Island) that has a great view of the Western border of Nags Head Woods. Caleb and I went out to the island on Sat and romped around among the oak trees.