Notes From the Classroom: Nature Exploration

by Morgan Greene, Education Part-timer

You packed your bags, drove to the marina, rode the ferry, and now you’re finally here—your vacation on Bald Head Island has begun! But what should you do first? What is there to do on Bald Head, anyway?

Maybe your first activity should be the Bald Head Island Nature Exploration Tour! This brand-new tour begins at the Hatchling Hut, the Conservancy’s information desk right across from the ferry, and takes you to all the best nature stops on the island. You’ll get a glimpse at the variety of ecosystems we have on Bald Head, as well as some fun places to return to for further exploration during your stay here. 

Kent Mitchell Nature Trail

The first stop on our tour is the Kent Mitchell Nature Trail, which takes us into one of Bald Head’s marsh hammocks. These “hammocks” are small patches of maritime forest that occur in the salt marsh wherever sediment has built up above the high tide line. Visitors may see fiddler crabs and squareback marsh crabs hiding in the cordgrass, or spot egrets fishing in the marsh creeks while terns and songbirds fly overhead. The Kent Mitchell trail also gives visitors a glimpse at Middle Island, home to the ibis sanctuary that can be accessed through the Conservancy’s Middle Island Tour.

Maritime Forest

Further into the island, visitors will explore the maritime forest, where we could encounter some of the many songbirds, reptiles, insects, and arachnids that call Bald Head Island home. We’ll also meet the Timmons’ Oak, a massive live oak and the oldest tree on the island at about 400 years old. All our live oaks are incredibly important to the island biome, making up much of the forest canopy for the maritime plants and animals that rely on them for shade and shelter. One of those plants is poison ivy, so make sure not to wander off the trail!

Frying Pan Shoals

At the far end of the island, we’ll peer over the dunes for a view of Frying Pan Shoals. At over 3,000 shipwrecks and counting, these infamous sand bars earned Cape Fear its reputation as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The shoals extend about 25 miles out to sea, not too far from Frying Pan Tower. The tower used to be light station manned by the US Coast Guard to keep ships from wrecking on the shoals, but once GPS and radar made the tower obsolete, it was temporarily abandoned before becoming a dangerous but exciting destination for thrill-seekers and researchers alike as the world’s most dangerous hotel.

Wildlife Overlook

After we take a break at the Conservancy for lunch at Mike’s Bites and some shopping at Turtle Central, we’ll make our way down South Bald Head Wynd to the final stop on our tour: Bald Head Island’s Wildlife Overlook. At this popular pond viewing area, visitors have the chance to see white ibises, yellow-bellied sliders, and perhaps even an alligator! From here, the tour will take visitors back to where we started at the Hatchling Hut, but you’ll be able to return to any of your favorite stops as you please throughout the week.

Want to learn more about any of these locations? Itching to see an alligator? Curious about the Timmon’s Oak or Frying Pan Shoals? Be sure to stop by the Hatchling Hut and sign up for the Bald Head Island Nature Exploration Tour! Whether it’s your first time on the island or you’re continuing a summer tradition, this tour is guaranteed to teach you something you never knew about Bald Head Island.

To learn more and register, click here.