Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge located on North Carolina's Pea Island, a coastal barrier island in Rodanthe, and part of a chain of islands known as the Outer Banks, adjacent to Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The sanctuary is located 10 miles (16 km) south of Nags Head, North Carolina on NC 12.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | North Carolina |
| Size | 4,862 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 4 |
| Center point | 35.6987, -75.4948 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.
Fire nearby
- WildfireWild Boar Point
16 mi from the center point · 30 acres
- WildfireOuter Dome
19 mi from the center point · 10 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 2.4 miBodie Island Lighthouse ↗Nags Head, NC
- 4.2 miMidgett, Rasmus, House ↗Waves, NC
- 4.2 miSea Foam Motel ↗Nags Head, NC
- 4.6 miSalvo Post Office ↗Salvo, NC
- 4.9 miFirst Colony Inn ↗Nags Head, NC
- 6.9 miCreef, George Washington, House ↗Manteo, NC
- 7 miMeekins, Thedore S., House ↗Manteo, NC
- 7.4 miDaniels, John T., House ↗Manteo, NC
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge?
4,862 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in?
North Carolina.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Oregon Inlet Campground, 1.9 miles out. 1 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.699, -75.495. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is 10 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Wild Boar Point at 16 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 7 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (10 mi), Wright Brothers National Memorial (13 mi) and Cape Hatteras National Seashore (17 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge?
10 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Bodie Island Lighthouse and Midgett, Rasmus, House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Description: Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.