Amid Hyde County’s vast 1,424 square miles, a little more than half of it water, exists many beautiful and distinctive sites, natural and manmade, from the top of Mattamuskeet Lodge on the mainland to the top of Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island and all places in between along its winding roads of vast farmland and its sand-covered roads spanning between the Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.
One of half a dozen of North Carolina’s oldest counties, historic Hyde County and its cultural landscape and waterscape have been influenced and shaped by its first inhabitants more than a few hundred years ago.
Today, the mainland and Ocracoke Island offer a variety of unique experiences for people of all ages and interests to enjoy.
Whether you are driving west along U.S. 264 or south along N.C. 94 on the mainland or using the one-way fare ferry from Swan Quarter to Ocracoke Island or driving south on N.C. 12 and using the free ferry at Hatteras Island to get to Ocracoke, these are five recommended places you should plan on experiencing.
During the summer, it’s best to obtain ferry reservations. For ferry fares, schedules and reservations, visit online at https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/ferry/
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
On the mainland, the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, home to Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina’s largest natural freshwater lake, is not only host to diverse habitats within its waters, marshes and woodlands, but provides opportunities to learn more about the species that exist there.
The Charles Kuralt Trail on N.C. 94 has an information panel and a gazebo with an observation deck.
From N.C. 94, the two-mile Mattamuskeet Road leads to the Refuge Headquarters. Midway, another wildlife drive connects and runs along the south side looping back to N.C. 94. Both roads offer spectacular views.
The Refuge Headquarters provides interactive, interpretive exhibits regarding the habitats of not only black bear, deer, bobcat and otter, but also wading birds, shorebirds, birds of prey and waterfowl. You can also learn about the habitats of amphibians and reptiles.
The New Holland Trail Boardwalk bends and laces through a bald cypress wetland where your senses are heightened in the silence of nature.
The Central Canal Road and the East Main Canal Road start behind the Mattamuskeet Lodge and lead to various boat ramps and observation decks where more impressive views and experiences are possible.
The Mattamuskeet Lodge, a famous landmark, not only served as a hunting lodge, but hosted various community events before closing in 1974. From 1909-1932, it originally served as a pumping station in an attempt to drain the lake to create additional farmland.
The Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, located nine miles east of Swan Quarter, is accessible via US 264 and NC 94. For further information, visit online at https://www.fws.gov/refuge/mattamuskeet
Martelle’s Feed House Restaurant and Oyster Bar
After your adventure at the refuge, be sure to follow U.S. 264 to enjoy a meal at Martelle’s Feed House Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Engelhard at 33301 U.S. 264 where the food is served southern comfort style.
For 25 years, Martelle Marshall has been serving cuisine not only rooted deep in tradition that reflects his background and Hyde County, but food that is contemporary and innovative upon which he prides himself.
Martelle’s specializes in eastern North Carolina cooked-over-coals barbecue, fresh seafood, steak, pork and chicken.
While the menu offers a wide variety of appetizers and sandwiches, there are other options such as wraps and salads.
Friday and Saturday nights offer specials such as Prime Rib, Cowboy Chops, Jumbo Lump, a combination of crab meat and shrimp, and Soft shell Crab Bites.
Each Sunday’s buffet, unique every Sunday, features mainstays such as fried shrimp and fried chicken, but alternates between other savory meat choices always complimented by various succulent sides.
When in season, the oyster bar serves a peck of fresh, local oysters any way you want—fried, grilled, steamed or raw with either horseradish, Texas Pete, melted butter or Martelle’s homemade oyster sauce.
Open year-round but closed on Monday, lunch hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and dinner hours are 5 to 8 p.m. The Sunday buffet is 11 a.m.– 3 p.m.
Traveling from the mainland to the island
To get to Ocracoke Island from the mainland, there are two choices: drive around on U.S. 264 to N.C. 12 to use the Hatteras Island ferry to get to the north end of the island or drive to Swan Quarter and embark on a nearly three-hour ferry ride across the Pamlico Sound to Silver Lake Harbor.
While you can drive your car around Ocracoke Island, it’s much easier to see and experience the island’s charm and attractions by golf cart, bicycle or foot.
With Ocracoke Island being so condensed, it’s important to show courtesy as some of the tourist attractions are near the homes of local residents.
Ocracoke Lighthouse
For nearly 200 years, the Ocracoke Lighthouse has endured tempestuous weather standing strong in its watch guiding sailing vessels through Ocracoke Inlet.
Surrounded by cedar thickets and live oak trees, the lighthouse and the keeper’s quarters stand upon some of the island’s highest land where it was built in 1823 by Noah Porter. Porter constructed it with brick, built its base walls five feet thick to support its 75-foot height, and covered its exterior walls with a hand-spread mortar.
Through the years, the lighthouse has undergone changes and renovations to keep its structure strong and functional. Its lighting has changed from whale oil to lard to kerosene to a fourth-order Fresnel lens to electric bulbs and now a stationary light that operates from a 250-watt quartz-halogen marine bulb.
While the Ocracoke Lighthouse is the shortest in height among other North Carolina lighthouses, it is not only the oldest operating lighthouse in the state, but the second oldest lighthouse still in continuous operation in the U.S.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Ocracoke Lighthouse is located at 360 Lighthouse Road and is open year-round. Parking is provided, but is limited. While visitors can visit the grounds, climbing the lighthouse or visiting the keeper’s quarters are prohibited.
For more information, visit online at https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/ols.htm
Springer’s Point Nature Preserve
About a quarter-mile from the lighthouse is Springer’s Point, a 122-acre nature preserve that offers an easy hike set in tranquility.
It’s best to access Springer’s Point by walking. There is a bike rack outside of the gate, but do not plan on leaving a golf cart or your car – there is no space to park near this residential area.
Go beyond the gate where the trail opens to a winding tunnel of thickets beneath a canopy of age-old twisted live oaks and let yourself wander in the magic of this maritime forest.
The trail eventually opens to a scene of billowy waves on the southeast shore at Teach’s Hole in the Pamlico Sound. The infamous pirate, Edward Teach, or Blackbeard, used Springer’s Point as one of his many places to rejuvenate from his piratical plundering. This is where Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Colonial Navy captured, shot and decapitated Blackbeard in 1718.
According to historical accounts, Blackbeard’s severed head was secured on the bowsprit of Maynard’s vessel and taken to Williamsburg, Virginia for public display. But his body was left at Springer’s Point, and according to local legend, his ghost still roams among the trails.
Springer’s Point Nature Preserve, located at 104 Loop Road, is open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. For more information, visit online at https://coastallandtrust.org/lands/springers-point-preserve/
The Pony Pen at Ocracoke Island
The Pony Pen is located along N.C. 12’s soundside and is one of the first stops after getting off of the Hatteras Island ferry or one of the last stops at the north end of the island.
Regarded as ponies, this rare breed of short-backed and short-legged horses are different in size and weight due to their different number of ribs and vertebrae.
Few in number today, different historical accounts claim that they are the offspring of either Spanish, Arab or English stock driven to the island as a result of storm-wrecked voyages more than a few centuries ago.
According to newspaper accounts from the late 1800s and early 1900s, people from the mainland bought the ponies for farm or saddle use or gave them to their children as gifts. The ponies were also periodically rounded up and sold to the public to prevent overpopulation.
While the National Park Service rangers used to ride them for beach patrol, members of the Boy Scouts Troop, first formed on the island in 1953, had to catch, tame and teach his pony navigation.
During the 1950s, however, when NC 12 transitioned from sand to pavement, the increase of vehicles threatened their independence.
Since 1959, the National Park Service has been caring for them. They are corralled within 180 acres with freedom to roam and graze on marshland or feed on hay near their stables.
The Pony Pen provides adequate parking. For more information, visit online at https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/historyculture/ocracokeponies.html
These must-see places not only teach us about a fascinating history and how the past has shaped the present, but how important it is to teach younger generations the importance of preserving the history and culture of our communities.
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