Swanquarter Wilderness
Established in 1932, Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge encompasses around 16,500 acres of islands and coastal marshland on the north side of Pamlico Sound. The Swanquarter Wilderness makes up more...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | North Carolina |
| Size | 8,784 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1976, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.3580, -76.2827 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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 is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Fire nearby
- WildfireOuter Dome
32 mi from the center point · 10 acres
- WildfireWild Boar Point
35 mi from the center point · 30 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
- 4.3 miLake Mattamuskeet Pump Station ↗Swanquarter, NC
- 10.9 miInkwell ↗Lake Landing, NC
- 12.6 miWynne's Folly ↗Engelhard, NC
- 13.2 miDavis School ↗Engelhard, NC
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Swanquarter Wilderness?
8,784 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Swanquarter Wilderness?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Swanquarter Wilderness in?
North Carolina.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Swanquarter Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1976.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Swanquarter Wilderness?
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Swanquarter Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.358, -76.283. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Swanquarter Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Outer Dome at 32 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Swanquarter Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 10 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Swanquarter Wilderness?
4 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Lake Mattamuskeet Pump Station and Inkwell.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- 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.