Springer’s Point Preserve

Springer’s Point Preserve is open to the public from 8am – sunset daily. We invite you to visit and enjoy the walking trails through the maritime forest and sound front beach. Dogs and their conscientious owners are welcome – ON LEASH and LEAVE NO TRACE. Please plan to travel to the Preserve by foot or bicycle as there is no parking available. Full list of preserve rules at bottom of page. As we continue to balance the protection of the conservation values of the property and public access, we ask that you please be respectful of the natural aspects of the preserve and of other visitors.

The Coastal Land Trust’s Springer’s Point Preserve on Ocracoke Island is the perfect spot to spend the morning bird watching or the afternoon hiking and sitting on the beach overlooking the Pamlico Sound. This tranquil Preserve was opened to the public in May 2006 and encompasses more than 120 acres of maritime forest, tidal red cedar forest, salt marsh, wet grasslands and sound front beach. You’ll pass ancient, gnarled live oaks as you make your way along winding trails to the sandy beach overlooking the infamous Teach’s Hole. Designated as one of the state’s significant natural heritage areas because of its unique maritime forest and importance to colonial water birds, the Preserve enjoys a cultural history as vibrant as the array of plant and bird species it supports. This site, historically referred to as “Teach’s Plantation”, is the reputed favorite haunt of the legendary pirate, Blackbeard, who marauded, eluded capture and finally met his fate at Teach’s Hole, off Springer’s Point.

Springer’s Point was one of the last remaining undeveloped areas on Ocracoke Island and under the threat of development. The Coastal Land Trust purchased 31 acres of the Preserve in 2002 and an additional 91 acres in 2006 with grant funds from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. In 2020, we secured two acres of private land within the boundaries of the Preserve that overlook Pamlico Sound. In 2021, we were successful in purchasing the last remaining targeted tract with a second NC Land and Water Fund grant (formerly the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund) bringing the Preserve to 132 acres in size.

Overwhelming community support enables the Coastal Land Trust to complete maritime forest restoration work, construct and maintain Preserve amenities, contract a local Preserve Steward and have the Preserve open to the public. An island within an island, Springer’s Point is a peaceful oasis of natural beauty that we are delighted to share with locals and visitors alike.

To support Springer’s Point, donate online today!