Hyde County, NC (Wikepedia), also known as “the land of many waters”, and  adjacent to the Pamlico Sound.

Hyde County Home Page

County Seat: Swan Quarter

**interesting note: Hyde County is home to the smallest public school system in North Carolina. The Hyde County Schools comprises two schools.

• Mattamuskeet School, K-12 serves the mainland
• Ocracoke School, K-12 serves Ocracoke Island

The only private school in Hyde County is a small Mennonite school located in the northwest section of the county. This school serves the county’s Mennonite population.

Ocracoke Home Page

Hyde County is probably best known for two distinctly different reasons:  First, Ocracoke is located entirely within Hyde County, and is a popular destination by ferry for travelers of our banks.  Three ferries service Ocracoke, and more information on schedules can be found on this website.  Home to the Ocracoke Lighthouse, a starkly white and often photographed light, the entire island is part of the Cape Hatteras  National Seashore and has sixteen miles of beach area to enjoy.

Credit for the above lighthouse photo goes to Insights, Images & Poetry, who graciously allowed us to share it.

If you would like more information on the lighthouse, this link from lighthousefriends.com has a wealth of information.

National Park Service page for Cape Hatteras National Seashore

The other thing that Hyde County can be noted for is the number of protected areas: Where noted with “part”, this means that part of the area lies within Hyde.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

• Cape Hatteras National Seashore (part)
• Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
• Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge: North Carolina’s largest natural lake, and home to a wide variety of migratory waterfowl.

**Mattamuskeet is considered to be a Algonquain word possibly meaning “dry dust”, and legend attributes the shallow lake bed to  a slow peat fire

NC Culture has done a previous post on Mattamuskeet, so instead of recapping all the info in that post, I am simply supplying a link to that post, as there is new information to bring to you on the future of the lake. Photography on the original post supplied by Keith Green of Jus Messin Round Fotographie (2010), Vanessa Towell (1987), and Chris Jones Photo and Video (date of photography unknown).

Invasive plant at Lake Mattamuskeet

Phragmite photo supplied by Wikepedia

Due to an influx of an invasive water plant (phragmite), and unchecked salt water coming in from Pamlico Sound, the lake now has a group of citizens who have developed a webpage and a Facebook page, “Save Lake Mattamuskeet”, dedicated to restoring the lake to its’ former good health.  This website also features a video of a lake flyover, pinpointing areas of concern.  We strongly urge all our followers who love the natural resources of our state to read up on the problems, and the solutions requested.  This refuge is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  It has become very difficult to accomplish anything, and the residents of this beautiful and unique area are becoming increasingly concerned, as they witness the dwindling population of waterfowl, and a reduction in fresh water fish.  At this point, the lake is so low (and this is already an extremely shallow lake) that it cannot support boat traffic.

Your admin has the opportunity to recently visit Lake Mattamuskeet, and I have to admit, words fail me.  This is an incredibly beautiful part of our state, and the abundance of waterfowl, even with the dwindling numbers, was something every North Carolinian needs to see at least once.  We do have a few short video clips to share, and some photos, and I only wish I was gifted enough to describe how wonderful this place is.  The Mattamuskeet Lodge, also known as “the other lighthouse”, is fascinating, although visitors cannot go inside at this time.  Please click the link above for more information on restoration..

a few random photos to enjoy of this valuable NC resource, taken by your admin and her spouse on a recent visit:

 

 

 

 

National protected areas

• Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore (part)
• Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
• Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge

The Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge is located in Hyde County, North Carolina near the village of Swan Quarter. This is a federally protected land, home to many species of wildlife and waterfowl. The refuge is administered from the nearby Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge has a total area of 16,411 acres

(Wikepedia)

More information on the Swanquarter Refuge can be found at the government site.