Alligator River

Operated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge spreads out over 160,000 acres on the eastern edge of the Albemarle Peninsula between Columbia and Manteo.

Established in 1984 to protect the Pocosin Wetlands, the forests, fields, and marshes are home to large populations of black bear and migratory birds, especially in the winter. The refuge is also one of the only places in the world where you may see endangered red wolves in their natural habitat.

Needless to say, during my visit, I saw none of these animals. I did enjoy, however, driving along Miltail Road and stopping to appreciate the unique quality of the landscape itself.

Eastern North Carolina is flat and often times wide open. Roads are straight and narrow. Farms, fields, and canals are sometimes the only things in sight. The water and soil often look black, and the sky goes on forever. I always take a lot of photos during my excursions, but the one above captures the feeling and quality of this particular part of the state more than most of the others.