Public Education

NCCF offers guided and self-guided nature trail walks
at Hoop Pole Creek in Atlantic Beach and Patsy Pond in Ocean, NC.
Nature trail programs provide hikers and participants with a firsthand look at
North Carolina's longleaf pine and maritime forest ecosystems.

Hoop Pole Creek Clean Water Preserve Nature Trail

     In the first acquisition of its kind in state history, 31 acres of prime waterfront property were permanently preserved by NCCF with a $2.5 million grant for the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF). Hoop Pole Creek is a refuge for fish, wildlife, and plant communities. The area enhances water quality and maintains the ecological integrity of the local aquatic community. As a vital buffer between surrounding land uses and productive estuarine waters, the creek is one of the few locations in Bogue Sound where shellfish beds consistently remain open for harvest. Providing the public access to this area through a nature trail is part of its mission. The trail is open everyday during daylight hours. For a self-guided walk, brochures with trail maps are available online and at the trail entrance off Highway 58 in Atlantic Beach.

Patsy Pond Nature Trail in the Croatan Forest

     The Patsy Pond Nature Trail is part of the Croatan National Forest and winds through an area referred to as Longleaf Pine Flat Woods. It is an open woodland of longleaf pines with low growing herbs and shrubs. Fire is a natural influence in this forest community. Many of the plants and trees have adapted to survive burns and are actually healthier after fires. Examples of animals and birds in this forest include: White-tailed deer, gray fox, gray squirrel, flying squirrel, black bear, osprey, egret, turkey, wading birds, the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, reptiles and amphibians. The trail is open everyday during daylight hours. For a self-guided walk, brochures are available at the trail entrance on Highway 24 across from the NCCF Headquarters in Ocean, NC.