Kitty Hawk Woods on the Outer Banks

About Kitty Hawk Woods

At the heart of the village of Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk Woods protects 1877.2 acres of maritime deciduous swamp, forest and marsh. Through a conservation easement with the state, the town of Kitty Hawk owns 461.6 acres.

Storm-created inlets once crossed the Currituck Banks, enabling tides to move salty ocean water and fresh sound waters between them. The final inlet closed in 1928, after which the salinity of Currituck Sound became fresh brackish water. Today, the estuaries formed from this change serve as primary nursery areas for fish.

A dune system follows the coast, shielding the area from wind shear and salt spray; the forest’s eastern boundary is a quarter-mile from the ocean. Within the woods, the terrain consists of a succession of low ridges and swales.

Kitty Hawk Woods’ setting supports a great diversity of wildlife. Gray fox, raccoon and white-tailed deer occupy the upland areas. Nutria, muskrat, river otter, and a high density of reptiles and amphibians are found in the marsh.

The woods provide habitat for warblers, woodpeckers, hawks, wrens and other songbirds. Wood ducks use the deeper swales, while herons, egrets, geese, ducks, swans and rails can be seen in the marsh.

The reserve’s rare plants include southern twayblade and wooly beach heather. Rare on the Outer Banks, the hop hornbeam is found only in Kitty Hawk and Nags Head Woods.

Kitty Hawk Woods
983 West Kitty Hawk Road
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949