Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
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Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
What We Do
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Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge conserves a rare type of wetland habitat, known as "pocosin." These wetlands, unique to the southeast, have deep organic peat soils and a dense layer of evergreen shrubs. In addition to pocosins, the refuge encompasses vast acres of other natural wetlands, open water on Pungo and New Lakes, upland pine forests, and managed moist-soil and agricultural units that provide high-energy food for waterfowl. More than a hundred thousand ducks, geese, and swans congregate on the refuge in winter, and the refuge supports one of the densest populations of black bear ever reported. The refuge is the site of one of the country’s largest wetland restoration projects, restoring natural hydrology to the pocosin peatlands.
Announcements
Road Condition Updates
The majority of the public use roads on the Pungo Unit are open for vehicles weighing 8,000 pounds or less
. Almost all refuge roads, especially those on the Pungo Unit, are dirt and may be muddy during periods of wet weather. Please check the weather and use caution when roads are wet. For road condition updates and current closures, please call 252-796-3004, extension 225, or click the button below.
Current Road Closures
Refuge Map
Please obey all posted signs. For questions or the latest updates on closures, please contact the refuge at 252-796-3004.
Hunting Information
Instructions for obtaining a permit to hunt on the refuge, regulations, and information on the lead-free incentive program
Interpretive Programs Schedule
The refuge offers regular programs, from presentations and tours to special programs with Pocosin Arts or the Tyrrell Library.
Visit Us
National wildlife refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings. Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge provides numerous recreation opportunities to visitors every year, whether driving, boating, biking, or hiking. Stop by the Walter B. Jones, Sr. Center for the Sounds in Columbia to explore the interactive displays and take a stroll along the Scuppernong River Boardwalk—sunsets over the Scuppernong are a must-see! Head to the Pungo Unit to see black bear, winter waterfowl, and other wildlife. Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge offers excellent wildlife photography opportunities, especially in early mornings and late afternoons, when wildlife is most active and lighting can be spectacular. Visitors can enjoy wildlife viewing and photography, birding, hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking.
Refuge Map
Things to Do
Stop by the
Walter B. Jones, Sr. Center for the Sounds
in Columbia to explore the interactive displays.
Slow down and immerse yourself in nature with a stroll along the
Scuppernong River Boardwalk
--look closely for turtles, flowers, and other wildlife!
Join in on a Red Wolf Program at the
Red Wolf Center
to learn about the history, biology, and management of red wolves and have a chance of seeing captive red wolves!
Tour the Pungo Unit
for a chance of seeing black bear, wintering waterfowl, and other wildlife. The dawn and dusk winter roosts of thousands of swans and geese are a must-see!
Learn about endangered red wolves, join a guided waterfowl tour, or explore other topics through
interpretive programs and special events
Hunting
and
fishing
are allowed on the refuge with restrictions.
Learn More About Visiting
Location and Contact Information
Learn More About Us
What We Do
Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a
national wildlife refuge
national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge
is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.
Habitat management at Pocosin Lakes NWR is greatly influenced by fire and water. The refuge’s water management keeps the peat soils moist, protecting them from destructive wildfire and restoring natural biochemical processes in the wetland. Pocosins are a fire-adapted ecosystem. Many plant communities found in pocosin wetlands require fire to persist in healthy conditions. Prescribed fire reduces the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires, releases nutrients back into the soil, removes undesirable vegetation, and stimulates growth of early successional plants that are eaten by a variety of wildlife. In addition, the cooperative farming program on the refuge allows local farmers to farm on refuge lands in exchange for leaving a portion of the crop as high-energy food for waterfowl and other wildlife.
More About What We Do
Our Species
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Our Library
Name
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Tearsheet Map
PDF
Feb 23, 2026
Name
Pocosin Lakes NWR Hunting and Fishing Regulations 2025-2026
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) authorizes access to national wildlife refuges for hunting and fishing through regulations promulgated in Title 50 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. This brochure/permit is specific to Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. You must carry a...
PDF
Sep 10, 2025
Name
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Events and Programs Calendar
PDF
Apr 13, 2026
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Projects and Research
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Pocosin Lakes Refuge Hydrology Restoration
Audio Described Version
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge encompasses approximately 110,106 acres of Washington, Hyde, and Tyrrell Counties in eastern North Carolina. In addition to more than 8,300 acres of managed waterfowl habitat, the refuge also has more than 101,600 acres of pocosin peatlands. Pocosin (a Native American term meaning “swamp on a hill...
Pocosin Lakes Refuge Hydrology Restoration
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