Rick at Springer's Point with Ocracoke Lighthouse in background.

Springer's Point Preserve Open to Public
Plants, pirates and birds - oh my

by Shelby Kinnaird

On May 20, 2006, the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the public opening of the Springer's Point Preserve on Ocracoke Island.

Springer's Point, a woodland treasure on the Pamlico Sound, is a quiet haven colored by rumors of having been a hangout for Blackbeard and his men. Its hummocks of twisted, ancient live oaks, yapon, red bay and red cedar trees host one of the largest and most diverse nesting rookeries in the state, featuring eight species of ibis, heron and egret. The dunes along the sandy beach are covered with flowering yucca, sea oxeye and seaside morning glories. Ecologically, biologists consider this spot to be of statewide significance because of its unique combination of evergreen maritime forest, rare tidal cedar forest, salt marshes and wet grassland areas.

"Springer's Point has a special place in the hearts of the people of Ocracoke and now they can rest assured that their children and grandchildren can enjoy this unique treasure," said Lee Leidy, Northeast Region Director for the Coastal Land Trust.

The Preserve is open from dawn to dusk for passive recreational use and includes self-guided nature trails, an informational kiosk, bike rack and benches for relaxing. Signage will be provided to give visitors an opportunity to enjoy and learn about the ecologically and historically significant property. The Preserve consists of 122 acres and is one of the largest remaining undeveloped tracts in private ownership on Ocracoke Island. It will be managed by the Coastal Land Trust.

In June 2006, Rick and I took the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke to check out Springer's Point. One thing you should know is that the Preserve is in a residential area and there is no parking nearby. You must park elsewhere in town and bike or walk to the Preserve. We were bad and parked at the Lighthouse, but that is not recommended. We were lucky we didn't get a ticket!

About half of the trail is wooded (shady) and the other half is along the coast (sunny). The wooded area has many old trees and some parts look almost tropical. There is also a very small cemetery that contains the graves of an 84-year-old man and a horse named Sam. While on the beach, we saw many boats full of fishermen and several parasailers. The Ocracoke Lighthouse is also visible.

The Preserve is quiet and remarkably uncrowded. If you need to get away from the ten other people sharing your beach house, this would be a good place to go. We only saw about four other people on the trail the whole time we were there.