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Alligator River Kayak Tour: Wildlife Adventure
4.8
81 Ratings
Manns Harbor
Explore Alligator River’s wildlife by kayak. Spot black bears, red wolves, egrets, herons, and turtles in this historic refuge.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge - Go on an unforgettable kayaking trip through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks. A true Outer Banks treasure kayaking amidst the natural beauty of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, home to an old logging and whiskey distilling community during Prohibition. Who knew the OBX had black bear and endangered red wolves? Also see snowy egrets, great blue herons, and turtles.
2 Hour Experience
Intermediate Tour
Search for alligators, black bear, bald eagles, turtles, egrets, osprey, river otter & red wolves
Available year round
What's Included
- Kayaks
- Life jackets
- Safety equipment
- Paddles
What's Not Included
- Does not include gratuity.
Additional Information
The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, stretching over 125,000 acres, is a nature reserve directed by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. In addition to its renowned biodiversity, this vibrant wildlife passageway historically housed a logging and illicit whiskey manufacturing community during the Prohibition era. Surprisingly found in OBX are black bears and the threatened species of red wolves. One could also spot snowy egrets, great blue herons, and turtles.
Location
17344 Buffalo City Rd
Buffalo City Road
From Route 64 West, turn onto Buffalo City Road. Look for the brown US Fish and Wildlife Sign that says Buffalo City Road. It is a dirt road in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and GPS may not work. Go to the end of the road and park in the designated parking area near the kayak launch.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(81 Ratings)
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Elisaw800
Aug 28, 2024
Relaxing morning on the water - A beautiful morning kayak trip with 15 family members. We didn't see much wildlife but Kel and Mike taught us about the local wildlife, the refuge, historical facts about the area. We have booked with Coastal Kayak on previous visits to the Outer Banks and have always been well taken care of.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_r
Aug 16, 2024
Family vacation fun - Our guide, Maria was amazing! My family group of 7 had a fun and wonderful time! Everything went so smoothly, it was easy to relax and enjoy the sites while kayaking.
Review provided by Viator
Tina_b
Aug 14, 2024
Peaceful adventure - We enjoyed our kayak trip. The setting was so peaceful and, Maria, our guide, was knowledgeable and attentive. The animals were shy on our day but we saw one gator and a bunch of turtles. I thought it was a good value.
Review provided by Viator
Hsinyib2021
Aug 3, 2024
Beautiful and calm - It was a beautiful trip, I was a little worried about my elbow kayaking (tennis elbow), but the trip was very calm and easy going with beautiful scenery the whole way…. We saw one alligator swimming in front of us :-)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janell_m
Aug 2, 2024
One of a kind experience - Good way to see the area away from the beach. Loved the canoe channels. Guide answered all our questions and was very helpful
Review provided by Viator
Susan_k
Jul 11, 2024
Unique kayak experience - Kayaking through the canal/s and seeing the wildlife. Guide was helpful pointing out various sights and sounds I would have otherwise missed.
Review provided by Viator
Adam_a
Jul 11, 2024
Great Paddle - This was an nice easy paddle. Our guides, David and Cole, were great. They provided information about the area while we went along. Very relaxing experience
Review provided by Viator
886mandyk
Jul 5, 2024
Five Star Family Experience - Excellent family experience from start to finish! Kristie was a great, easy going guide talking us through the lake and river trails. The route is the perfect combination of peaceful, beautiful scenery for the grandparents and kayaking challenges that kept the teens interested. We saw an alligator, frogs, and lots of beautiful butterflies. If you’re in the area, this is the best way to spend a couple hours of your time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Holly_c
Jul 4, 2024
Beautiful scenery! Up close with an alligator - We got up close with an alligator!! Family has been vacationing at OBX for 70+ yrs and this was our first visit to the Alligator River. Recommend the 7:30 am tour before it gets too - the scenery was beautiful, the kayaking was peaceful and we got up close to an alligator. So neat!!
Review provided by Viator
177hunterh
Jul 4, 2024
Fun!! - This was very cool. We went in the morning and really enjoyed it. We barely saw one gator but the forest and the small paths were fun nonetheless. Highly recommend morning because we got done about 9:30ish and then drive into the wildlife refuge. This is where the fun really cranked up. We saw gators in the ditches and 4 huge black bears. If there is a lot of traffic take the side roads and you will probably see some just walking done the road. This was a lot of fun and got us to a place we likely wouldn’t have gone if not to kayak.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
