Alligator River

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge encompasses over 152,000 acres of wetland habitat in Dare and Hyde Counties on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula of northeastern North Carolina. Established on March 14, 1984, the refuge was created to preserve and protect the unique pocosin wetland ecosystem and its associated wildlife species. The name derives from the Alligator River, which forms part of the refuge boundary. For many years, this vast stretch of swampy terrain was considered uninhabitable, but conservationists in the late 1970s and early 1980s began recognizing the ecological importance of these marshes, forests, and wetlands. Today, the refuge serves as one of the most significant protected areas for endangered species recovery in the eastern United States, particularly for the critically endangered red wolf reintroduction program that began in 1987.