Journal Entry #7 — Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

Yesterday, my son and I took a drive to Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (North Carolina) to see if we could see the black bears. 

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

We visited there last summer and saw several bears and their cubs out in the fields. Both trips have been so much fun and the weather was perfect. 

This time, we saw one bear and a whitetail doe in the field, and one alligator in the canal that surrounds the fields and wetland areas. There were also hundreds of turtles sunbathing on the logs in the water. 

It was a quiet day out there, and only a few other people were driving around sightseeing like us. The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge website states that you can usually see a few bears any time you drive out there, as they are one of the largest concentrations in the southeastern states, estimating 1-2 bears per square mile. It is also where the red wolf has been re-established. We did not see any wolves, but I did see canine tracks and assume they would be either coyote or red wolf in that area. 

The fields were still barren/just plowed/or just planted, so maybe that’s why the bears weren’t in that part of the area yet. Or maybe they were foraging or resting in the woodland areas since it was the middle of the day. I was hoping to see more of them but still to see even one was awesome, it was a gorgeous day and we saw an alligator, turtles, cormorant, and a duck with her ducklings in tow.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Then we decided to keep going down the highway to the ocean, since it was only 20 minutes away, and see the Bodie Island Lighthouse on the Outer Banks. Roanoke Island and the Outer Banks are beautiful areas to visit, learn some history and just enjoy the sun and being around the ocean. It was nearing the end of the day and we still had a 3-hour drive back, so we didn’t go anywhere else, but next time we will try to get to the refuge earlier in the morning to see the bears. 

If you decide to go see the bears at the refuge, be sure to take a good pair of binoculars, a camera with a good zoom, and expect to stay longer than you plan! There are several roads to drive up and down, and we backtracked a couple times on a few roads to look for the bears and study the plants and trees. 

**A tip for taking bear pictures:

If the bears are far off in the fields, like they were when we saw them, site in your binoculars on the bear, and hold your phone camera up to the binoculars to take the picture. You’ll have to use your vehicle door or something to stabilize the binoculars and phone. Just stay patient and keep a steady hand, and you should get few decent pictures. That’s how we got the pictures I included in this post. 

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