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Swanquarter
National Wildlife Refuge
38 Mattamuskeet Road
Swan Quarter, NC   27885
E-mail: mattamuskeet@fws.gov
Phone Number: 252-926-4021
Visit the Refuge's Web Site:
http://www.fws.gov/swanquarter		 The saltwater marshes of Swanquarter NWR provide wintering habitat for waterfowl, breeding sites for black ducks, and valuable nursery areas for many types of marine species.
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  Overview
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge, located on Pamlico Sound in Hyde County, North Carolina, was established on June 23, 1932. Approximately 8,800 acres are included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The refuge is made up of saltmarsh islands and forested wetland interspersed with potholes, creeks, and drains.

Marsh vegetation is dominated by black needlerush and sawgrass while the mainland is forested by loblolly pine, pond pine and bald cypress. An additional 27,082 acres of adjacent, non-refuge open water are closed by Presidential Proclamation to the taking of migratory birds. Swanquarter NWR is an important estuarine and wilderness resource, it and the surrounding proclamation waters provide winter sanctuary for black ducks and canvasbacks, redheads and scaup. Additionally, it provides habitat for nesting osprey and colonial waterbirds and supports one of the northernmost populations of the American alligator.


Getting There . . .
The refuge lies about 60 miles east of Washington, NC, south of the village of Swan Quarter. A two-mile long gravel road south of Highway 264 leads into the upland portion of the refuge and to the site of the 1000 foot long Bell Island fishing pier. All other access to the refuge is via boat only

Get Google map and directions to this refuge/WMD from a specified address:

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NOTE: When using this feature, you will be leaving the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service domain. We do not control the content or policies of the site you are about to visit. You should always check site policies before providing personal information or reusing content.

These driving directions are provided as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.

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     Recreation and Education Opportunities
Fishing
Hunting
Photography
Wildlife Observation
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Managment Activities

A prescribed burning program is used to restore back fire to an area which is historically adapted to natural fires. The primary objectives of the prescribed burning program are to enhance foraging habitat for wildlife that require early successional vegetation; to enhance fire-adapted plant species and plant diversity; and to improved habitat for resident and migratory wildlife species.