Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is a 152000acre National Wildlife Refuge located in eastern North Carolina along the Atlantic Coast. It was established on March 14, 1984, to preserve and protect a unique wetland habitat type—the pocosin—and its associated wildlife species.The refuge attracts visitors worldwide for its red wolf (Canis rufus) howling programs and is also home to the Dare County Bombing Range.DescriptionThe Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is composed of 152,000 acres lying in the mainland portions of Dare and Hyde Counties, North Carolina. It is roughly 28 miles from north to south and 15 miles from east to west and lies in North Carolina's Coastal Plain. It is bordered on the west by the Alligator River and the Intracoastal Waterway, which is crossed by the 2.8 mile Lindsay C. Warren bridge; on the north by Albemarle Sound; on the east by Croatan and Pamlico Sounds; and on the south by Long Shoal River and corporate farmland. The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is administered as a part of the complex. The Alligator River Manager supervises the Mackay Island, Currituck, and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Managers.