“If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.”  Lin Yutang

It is difficult to consider any time spent in nature as “useless,” but from the point of view of a culture overrun with to-do lists and daily schedules, an afternoon spent hiking and relaxing in the woods may appear that way.  Actually, a lot of activities found on the Outer Banks may seem “useless” from this perspective, but this is a world-class vacation destination after all, and we owe it to ourselves to slow down and enjoy as many “useless” days and “useless” experiences as possible.

With a little exploration off the beaten path, the Outer Banks offers endless opportunities to discover new experiences to help waste away the hours of the day.  Nags Head Woods offers a great opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and even the hustle and bustle of the beach.  A maritime forest seems to defy nature; the Outer Banks is only a few miles wide with water on both sides, yet a 1,400 acre maritime forest thrives in such an unlikely location.

On a warm, sunny, late-August afternoon, I found myself wandering aimlessly through the vast Woods.  I picked that random afternoon to slow the pace of my everyday life and try to capture some of the beauty of late summer on the Outer Banks.  My afternoon journey led me to a remote area of the island that would be difficult to find if you didn’t know where you were headed (see directions below).

As I stepped from my car and began to meander through the Woods, I was immediately greeted by the type of silence only nature can offer…the buzzing of insects, the chirp of songbirds, and the trickle of water running through streams.  The air was warm, but the breeze was cool, and the towering trees provided a blanket of shade that blocked the hot afternoon sun.  I chose a trail at random and headed on my way.  Nags Head Woods offers a variety of trails and endless nooks and crannies to escape for a relaxing rest or quiet contemplation.  I allowed my mind to slow and gathered my thoughts, and I took time to watch and enjoy the natural environment bursting with life around me.  An afternoon spent with nature can help keep life in perspective.

When I rounded a bend at the end of one of the trails and found myself facing the Nature Conservancy building, it dawned on me that not only is Nags Head Woods an amazing area to help you get back to nature and unwind, but it is also incredibly important from an ecological perspective.  My mission morphed from a purely Zen related retreat to include the larger perspective of a Zen retreat with an abundance of educational and environmental importance.  I gathered all of the information I could and set out to inform myself about the unique qualities of this rare environment.   It turns out that Nags Head Woods is vastly important to the local ecosystem, and it is one of the few remaining areas of its kind.

The site stretches more than three miles along the western side of Bodie Island adjacent to some of the Outer Banks’ most intense residential and commercial development. Owned jointly by The Nature Conservancy and the Town of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, it has long been recognized as one of NC’s most important natural areas. Approximately 1200 of the 1400-acre system is now in conservation management. According to pond sediment and pollen samples, woody plant communities have existed on the site for more than 1000 years.

Nags Head Woods is a complex maritime forest system overlying an extensive dune ridge-swale system with elevations ranging from sea-level to more than 90’. Two of the largest active sand dunes on the East Coast, Run Hill and Jockey’s Ridge, run along the northern and southern borders of the preserve. Shielded from the ocean winds by the dune ridges, Nags Head Woods features a diversity of plant and animal life that is unusual to find on a barrier island.

The forest includes a variety of ecological community types, including three classified by the NC Natural Heritage Program as globally rare. These three rare community types are maritime deciduous forest, maritime swamp forest and maritime shrub swamp. This extensive ecological preserve protects a remarkable range of unique habitats, including forested dunes, interdune ponds, marshes, and wetlands.   Nags Head Woods is North Carolina’s most biologically diverse maritime forest; its acres of wetland, dune and hardwood forest habitat make this site one of the best remaining examples of a mid-Atlantic maritime forest and a national natural landmark.

Towering oaks, hickories, and beech trees, some hundreds of years old, rise from the sand and create a canopy of trees more typical of the mountains of the eastern United States.  Over 100 species of birds have been documented at Nags Head Woods. The preserve is an important nesting area for more than 50 species.   Fifteen species of amphibians and 28 species of reptiles have been documented as well. The freshwater ponds are inhabited by seven species of fish and many reptiles and amphibians in addition to 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, egrets, herons, and many species of migratory waterfowl.

At one point during my afternoon journey a butterfly chose to bob and weave along the trail with me.  I watched with feigned disinterest in the hopes that butterfly would remain as my travel companion for a while.  As I gazed at its erratic movements I was struck by its carefree nature.  It seemed to be without a care in the world, and it helped me realize that when we take time to reconnect with the nature that is around us, we too can share in this carefree feeling.

Vacation is the perfect opportunity to live without cares, and Nags Head Woods is an ideal spot to retrieve your Zen-like mindset while at the same time witnessing one of the Outer Banks most remarkable natural treasures.

Nags Head Woods Facts & Information:

Ownership:
Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve
701 West Ocean Acres Drive
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

(252)441-2525

Operated by The Nature Conservancy, it hosts approximately 10,000 visitors annually.

Hours of Operation:

Open from dawn to dusk every day of the week.

Activities & Amenities:
Hiking/Birding/Parking/Outdoor Information Counter/Restrooms

Note:

Dogs and bikes are not allowed on the trails.  However, the outer lying roads that run beside the preserve are well shaded and provide a great opportunity for walks with the dog or comfortable bike ride.

Directions:
Take US 158 to Kill Devil Hills. Turn West near Mile Post 9 ½ (at the traffic light across from McDonald’s) on Ocean Acres Drive. Proceed through a residential subdivision for approximately a mile until you reach the entrance to Nags Head Woods Preserve on your left. Trail maps and guides are available at the outdoor information counter.