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PINE ISLAND AUDUBON SANCTUARY |
Northern Outer Banks Tour |
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Between the villages of Duck and Corolla is the pristine marsh of the Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary. Miles of secluded water trails make this arguably the most intricate marsh maze on the Outer Banks (8 square miles). The National Audubon Society has preserved a piece of the Outer Banks as it was before man arrived. In their goal to save wildlife habitat they have also created a kayaker’s dream.
One of the unique features of this tour is the solitude you will experience. Coastal Kayak has partnered with the Sanderling Spa & Resort to offer this exclusive tour of one of the Outer Banks least traveled and most sought after wildlife sanctuaries. The tour starts with a 10 minute walk down the Audubon trail to the location of our kayaks. From here your guide will lead you into the maze of islands through which only he or she knows the way.
Tours are permitted from March through September and depart from the Pine Island Racquet Club in the mornings and a few hours before sunset. We are offering a 3 hour tour which cost $50 per adult and $25 per child. |
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MARITIME FOREST & MARSH |
Ideal For Kids |
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Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve is one of few remaining maritime forests in the world. Over 1800 acres are protected providing a vital habitat for various migratory birds, mammals & reptiles. This tour meanders up Ginguite creek which is lined with loblolly pine & twisted live oak draped in Spanish moss. This sheltered creek remains very calm on even the windiest of days making it ideal for the first time kayaker or someone looking for a very relaxed nature filled tour.
The northern route takes you into the heart of the maritime forest all the way to a covered bridge (the bridge to nowhere). This bridge was actually built by a developer who was poised to develop this desirable land. The Nature Conservancy purchased this property after the developer went into bankruptcy. Thanks to the acquisition, bald eagle & osprey, two formerly endangered species have begun to nest here again. In season (March – August), osprey sightings are a daily occurrence. Eagle sighting are less common, but have been on the rise since we started our tours here in 1999.
The southern route on Ginguite creek is not our standard tour and is by special request only. This tour takes you from the maritime forest out to the more open waters of Long Point and the Kitty Hawk Bay. This is a great place to watch osprey hunt & look for river otter at play. On your return to the maritime forest, listen for the crescendo trill of the hidden marsh wren & look for the dominate display of the male red wing black bird as it attempts to draw attention away from its nest.
Tours of Kitty Hawk’s Maritime Forest and Marsh run from March through December. Duration of tour is about 2.5 hours. This tour meets at the Dare County boat ramp on Bob Perry Rd. in the morning and a few hours before sunset at a cost of $39 per adult and $25 per child. |
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PETER MASHOES CREEK AT ALLIGATOR RIVER |
Newest Tour |
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Our permit to tour the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge has been expanded to include a less traveled part of the refuge. Unlike the swamp trails of our original Alligator River tour, this tour explores the brackish (fresh and saltwater mix) marsh creeks named after Peter Mashoes.
This tour navigates some of the most interesting and complex marsh trails on the Outer Banks. Your guide will lead the way through the winding creeks to a deserted beach which we will explore on foot. Depending on the prevailing winds of the day we will either continue our paddle in the protection of the marsh or venture out into the open waters of the Albemarle Sound.
This tour is a little hard to get to and has limited parking, so we recommend you drive in our van (van ride is included in the price of tour). This tour runs from March through November at a cost of $55 per adult and $30 per child. Duration of tour is between 2.5 and 3 hours. This tour meets in the western parking lot of the Walgreens Pharmacy at mile post 9 on the west side of Rte. 158. |
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ALLIGATOR RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE |
Our Most Popular & Wildest Tour |
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The Algonquin Indians identified this habitat as a “pocosin”, meaning “swamp on a hill”. Bald cypress loom overhead, feeding the narrow creeks with tannins giving the water a mysterious black coloration. The winding creeks lead to mirror-image lakes where alligators can be seen as they sun on the floating grass fields (slough grass) or a protruding cypress stump. This refuge is home to the world’s only wild population of red wolves, which we sometimes hear on our wolf howlings. Last year we also had sightings of river otter, bobcat, black bear, American bittern, barred owl, and colonies of egret and ibis.
This refuge is a must see. Just 20 minutes from Nags Head, down old Buffalo City Road we set out on these black waters to learn of a time when loggers and moonshiners called this place home. There is little evidence of Buffalo City or the moonshine known as East Lake Dew today, but you will get a glimpse of what it must have been like in the logging and prohibition days.
We conduct this tour from March through December. This tour is $50 per adult and $25 per child and last about 3 hours. This tour meets in the mornings and four hours before sunset at mile post 9 on the west side of Rte. 158 in the western parking lot of Walgreens Pharmacy. From here you may drive in our van for $5 per person or follow us out to the refuge (30 miles).
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PEA ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE |
Hatteras Island Tour |
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Located on the northern section of Hatteras Island, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge consists of 5,834 acres of land and 25,700 acres of water. Kayaking is the best way to explore this “birders paradise”. The official list of birds sighted on this refuge is 365 species long.
The tour starts at a location named New Inlet which closed in the 1930’s. With every passing storm and hurricane the inlet threatens to reopen. We kayak under the old wooden bridge which was built to allow car traffic to cross the inlet. Ironically, the inlet closed before its completion. Today, the remains of this structure provide a reminder of the volatility of this island and a resting spot for brown pelican, osprey, cormorants and royal tern. As we navigate in and around the many marsh islands which make up this refuge we will talk about the migrating nature of the Outer Banks and how it was formed some 12,000 years ago.
This tour has the clearest waters of any of our tours, which allows us to view a wide variety of aquatic life beneath our kayaks including stingray, oysters and hermit crabs. Along our tour route it is also possible to land our kayaks on a sandy beach where we can explore the shallow waters on foot or take a swim.
You can enjoy this tour from March through November. Tours depart from the New Inlet parking area 6 miles south of Oregon Inlet at mile post 34 in the mornings and a few hours before sunset. This tour cost $45 per adult and $25 per child and last about 2.5 hours.
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OVERNIGHT TOUR OF FALSE CAPE STATE PARK |
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The Outer Banks of North Carolina offer many different opportunities for multiple day kayak tours. Depending on your group’s interest and experience we can create a tour you will never forget. Our basic overnight tour is to False Cape State Park. This is the perfect entry level overnight kayak tour. This tour starts on Knots Islands which is located in the middle of the Currituck sound (we will be taking the ferry to Knots Island). From here we make a simple crossing to the intricate marshes of the northern Outer Banks where we may see the infamous wild Spanish mustangs. Then we paddle north through the maze of marsh islands as we cross the state line into the back bays of Virginia. After landing at the sound side access of False Cape State Park we will make our way by foot to the ocean beach side to set up our camp. This is a beautiful deserted beach where you can walk for miles and collect shells and swim in the Atlantic Ocean. If camping is not your thing we can make arrangements to use the Cape Lookout educational cottage which sleeps up to 20 people (cost is $200 per night). For the campers, there is a pit toilet for your convenience. Open beach fires are not permitted so smores will have to be cooked over the camp stove. The cost of this tour is $200 per day which includes all food, camping permits, sleeping pads and tents.
Other Kayak Overnight Options: Besides our tour of False Cape State Park, we can also customize tours to Cape Lookout National Seashore and the inland waterways of eastern North Carolina. Please let us know if you are interested in us providing more details on a customized tour.
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What you need for an overnight kayak tour:
sleeping bag • sunscreen • hat • swimsuit • warm jacket for night (fleece is good)
sport sandals with back strap • pair of socks (not cotton)
pair of long pants (not cotton) |
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Please call for current tour details. Pricing is subject to change.
All prices are per person. |
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Maritime Forest & Marsh.....................................................$39
(2 1/2 hours)
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge...................................$45
(2 1/2 hours)
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.............................$50
(3 hours)
Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary.........................................$50
(3 hours)
Peter Mashoes Creek at Alligator River..............................$55
(2 1/2 to 3 hours) price includes van ride
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge...................................$45
(2 1/2 hours)
Full Moon..............................................................................$50
(2 ½ hours)
Child: Under 13 in two-person kayak w/ adult.................$25
Child price to Peter Mashoes Creek....................................$30
Van ride to the Alligator River NWR....................................$5
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Length of tours includes on land lesson and doesn’t account for driving time to tour location. YOUTH GROUPS and RELIGIOUS GROUPS should email or call for special pricing consideration.
DISCOUNTS:
Contact us for discount rates and specialty group pricing. |
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Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before the departure time of your tour to avoid being charged. If circumstances beyond our control cause a trip to be canceled, full refunds will be issued or you can reschedule your tour. No-shows will be charged the full ticket price. |
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