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There are approximately 60,000 free-roaming horses in the United States and Canada.
If you have the opportunity to visit one of the locations where they reside…you should take full advantage.
A couple of years ago, while visiting friends in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, I went in search of the many different horse statues that graced the barrier island.
These statues were placed throughout the different communities to commemorate the wild Spanish mustangs that roam the northern beaches of Corolla and Carova and are believed to be the descendants of shipwrecked horses from centuries prior.
This year, I went in search of the real horses.
Though you can access the northern beaches by four-wheel drive vehicles and search for these beautiful, four-legged creatures by yourself, there is always the risk of getting bogged down in the loose, deep sand. I wasn’t that brave.
For those who are not as adventurous (or do not own a four-wheel drive vehicle), there are safari-type tours that will drive you there (and back) in search of the horses and this is what I decided to do.
Leaving early in the morning, we headed out in the open-air, twelve-seat vehicle towards the end of the Ocean Trail to the North Beach Access Road where the pavement ends and the sand begins at the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge.
Not long after beginning our journey on the sandy expanse, we slowed our trek as we spotted a group of seven mustangs standing along the waterfront. Not to be intimidated by our presence, they stood in two groups, huddled against the morning breeze.
Advised that we would keep our distance, we strove to get the best photos from our viewpoint a short distance away while these creatures alternately stood together and sometimes took a rest on the sand.
After a short while, we said goodbye and moved onward in search of more, scanning the tall sand dunes that protected the beach homes that line the coast and driving inland on the many unpaved roads that harbor additional homes on the inlet.
There were many more horses to be spotted that day; two holding court atop a towering dune, a group of four grazing in a grassy field, the lone male trotting along down a sandy road, a group of three blocking our passage on Sandfiddler Road.
All in all, we spotted twenty-one mustangs during our excursion while also enjoying the amazing, beachfront homes, alluring landscapes and even a bit of history.
The Wash Woods Station provides an interesting change in the architecture along the beach and was built as a lifesaving station in 1917 to replace an outdated station (Deals Island Station #6) a few miles north. It was named for a small village located just north of the Virginia border and housed many guardsmen who kept lookout, especially during times of war when enemy ships cruised along the coast.
After the war, the need for personnel decreased until only a single caretaker remained. The station was decommissioned in late 1954 or early 1955. It served as a private vacation home for a time and then was restored in 1989. Today you can enjoy its construction from afar and occasionally even a horse on the property.
Eventually, we made our way back the way we had come, taking time to stop to enjoy the views from Penny Hill, the second largest dune in North Carolina.
Finally, our adventure was coming to a close and it was time for everyone to head back to their beach chairs and sun!
As I sat in my chair later that day, I turned my head and looked northward. I thought about the magnificent ponies that hold court not that far from where I was seated. Though they were not as colorful as the ones that I had sought out two years before, they were the true color of the landscape.
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Horse Tour Companies
- Back Country Safari Tours http://www.outerbankstours.com/?utm_source=icwnet
- Wild Horse Adventure Tours https://wildhorsetour.com/?utm_source=icwnet
- Bob’s Wild Horse Adventure Tours https://www.outerbanks.com/bobs-off-road-wild-horse-tours.html
- Corolla Adventures https://www.outerbanks.com/corolla-adventures.html
- Corolla Wild Horse Tours https://www.outerbanks.com/corolla-wild-horse-tours.html
- Corolla Jeep Adventure https://corollajeepadventures.com/
Leaving the gardens, we made our way on to the main trail, winding our way steadily up the mountainside, crossing a few fixed bridges along the way. A short time later, we found our way to the first hanging bridge. A bit of a back log had us waiting a while to pass over…workers monitor the bridge and allow a limited number to cross the bridge at one time. Unfortunately, there are those who are not as considerate of other’s time and paused one to many times to take selfies and pictures of the surrounding area.
Finally, we made our way as steadily as possible across the shaky span, marveling at the clouds swirling around the treetops. From the bridges and the higher parts of the trails, epiphyte plants, birds, mammals and butterflies can be observed up close. Some of the high altitude birds include the bell bird and the Emerald Toucanette, while at lower elevations, toucans and turkey hens can be spied along with migratory birds of prey during the months from November to February. High altitude trees include Yema Huevo, Cirri and Pilon trees and in the lower regions, Caobilla, Fruta Dorada and Maquenque trees. Keep an eye out for frogs, snakes, lizards and mammels such as kinkajous, raccoons, margays, ocelots, pumas, jaguars and tapirs.
The trail spans almost two miles and can be covered in about two hours. Six more hanging bridges are spaced out on the trail, along with a waterfall and viewing area and a tunnel. Each of the bridges vary in length and believe it or not, after the first bridge, the crowds thin. Maybe visitors decide that one is enough. Maybe they think they are too shaky or they run out of time, but at the end of the trail, the last few bridges have no one on them, allowing ample time to enjoy the views from the center of the bridge.
