These dense, beautiful forests offer glimpse into the other side of the Outer Banks

When people think of the Outer Banks, warm sunshine, cool ocean waves and soft sand come to mind. But there is so much more to the story than a thin strip of beach along the Atlantic Ocean.

Protected from the harsh winds and salt spray of the ocean, dense and beautiful maritime forests thrive. For the curious or adventurous, they offer a glimpse into a side of the Outer Banks that is surprising in its diversity.

Buxton Woods, Hatteras Island

46375 Lighthouse Road, Buxton

Just past the map kiosk on Old Doctor’s Road in Buxton Woods a deer breaks out of the trees, sees a human and darts back into the trees. Overhead there are two or three dozen robins singing in the branches arching over the sandy dirt road that leads into the forest.

Old Doctor’s Road is a sandy, sometimes pitted path, great for an off-road vehicle, but not so good for other cars. It does offer an easy footpath into the reserve, though.

Buxton Woods Reserve is part of the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management system. The reserve itself is 1007 acres, but it borders lands protected by the Dare County Water Department and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which has designated the area as a Registered Natural Heritage Area.

Located at the widest part of Hatteras Island and at the confluence of the temperate and semi tropical zones, a unique ecosystem thrives. Dwarf palmetto grow in the sedges and marsh between a series of east-west running relic sand dunes. The dunes are thousands of years old and are covered in hard packed earth with towering pine and hardwood trees. Hiking along the trails almost feels like a mountain environment with surprisingly steep elevation gains amidst a dense forest.

One of the easiest trails to get to is the Lookout Loop Trail. It is a short but moderately challenging trail at the end of Old Doctors Road that gives a good sense of what Buxton Woods is like. Climbing quickly to the top of a ridge, it looks out over a steep descent into the sedge at its base and then rises to the next ridge.

Water Association Road is a bumpy dirt road that any car can navigate. The road ends at the trailhead for the North Trail.

The North Trail follows a series of ridges and connects with almost every other trail in the reserve. It is a little more challenging than the Lookout Loop Trail, but not too difficult.

Some of the trails go into the sedges, the wetlands between the ridges. If it has been raining, those trails will be inaccessible.

Old Doctor’s Road is approximately a half mile south of Cape Hatteras Secondary School on NC12. Water Association Road is about a mile south from Old Doctor’s Road.

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Nags Head Woods, Kill Devil Hills

701 West Ocean Acres Drive, Kill Devil Hills

There seems to be a nesting pair of green herons somewhere in the dense foliage surrounding the pond the Nags Head Woods ADA trail circles. The trail, a combination of boardwalk and cement sidewalk, is flat and the easiest trail in the reserve to walk. Although it is an ADA trail, it’s also a perfect trail for toddlers who want to explore the outdoors.

The pond is beautiful. On calm days, it reflects the surrounding sky and trees with crystal clarity. Spring through mid autumn, yellow-bellied slider turtles warm themselves along the shore or on tree stumps that peek from the water.

The ADA trail is just one of a number of well-marked and fascinating trails throughout the reserve. The Center Trail is almost as hiker friendly as the ADA trail and is a quarter mile loop. It begins at the Visitors Center.

On the other end of the difficulty spectrum, the Sweetgum Swamp Trail is surprisingly rugged, climbing up the steep sides of relict dunes and winding through a dense hardwood and pine forest.

For hikers looking for a challenge and to extend the hike, the Blueberry Ridge Trail is a three mile trail that combines with the Sweet Gum Swamp trail to create a five mile trek. The trailhead is along the Sweet Gum Trail.

That five mile hike is an amazing journey through the diversity of Nags Head Woods. Verdant marshes and high ridges overlook extensive freshwater ponds. The chatter of birds is a constant in the trees and in clearings a glance into the sky shows soaring raptors—osprey, an occasional bald eagle, and turkey vultures.

The trails also offer a remarkable glance into the history of the Outer Banks. At one time Nags Head Woods was home to a thriving community and the Roanoke Trail, an easy 1.5 mile hike, goes through the heart of what was once the Tillett farm. The trail has interpretive signs along the way and ends on a small beach on Roanoke Sound.

The parking lot at the visitor center off Ocean Acres Drive in Kill Devil Hills is the most popular way to access the preserve. However, Town Park and the YMCA in Nags Head have trail access as well.

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Currituck Banks Reserve, Corolla

Ocean Trail and North Beach Access Road, Corolla

There’s a sign on the gate at the trailhead for the Currituck Banks Estuarine Reserve reminding users to be sure to close the gate to prevent the Corolla Wild Horses from wandering into the populated areas of Corolla.

There’s not much chance of seeing the horses, but especially on the Maritime Forest Trail, there’s plenty of evidence that they’re around.

The Currituck Banks Reserve is a little over 950 acres, but most of that is inaccessible wetlands and open water. The land portion, though, has 240 acres of exquisite maritime forest that is accessed through an ADA .3 mile long boardwalk and the 1.5 mile Maritime Forest Trail.

The boardwalk passes through a maritime swamp forest habitat where red maple, sweet gum and an occasional pine tree thrive. Flowering plants fill the air with fragrance and color. The boardwalk ends along an unnamed creek with a breathtaking panorama of Currituck Sound.

About 50 yards from the parking lot along the boardwalk, there’s a sign for the Maritime Forest Trail. The trail is suitable for anyone aged six and up. It’s a flat, very well marked path through a maritime forest unlike any other on the Outer Banks. Pine trees dominate at first, but as the trail moves closer to Currituck Sound, live oak take their place. Halfway to the sound, there is, what may be, the largest grove of live oak on the Outer Banks, their branches twisted into fantastic shapes, the trees seem to erupt from the ground as they reach for the sky.

The parking lot for the reserve is about two miles north of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse on NC12. The road will bend sharply to the right, and the parking lot is on the left.

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Two other places to visit

Kitty Hawk Woods is a 1900 acre protected maritime forest that is entirely in Kitty Hawk. Easiest access is the Birch Lane Trail with parking a Kitty Hawk Park off West Kitty Hawk Road.

Also in Kitty Hawk is Sandy Run Park, a half mile very easily walked loop around a freshwater pond. Yellow-bellied slider turtles abound, osprey nests in season and great blue herons are plentiful.