Pamlico Scenic Byway

Pamlico Scenic Byway follows the Pamlico River and Sound through eastern North Carolina, named for the Native American tribe that once lived along its shores. English explorers first charted the Pamlico River in 1584, and it still runs 33 miles from Washington out to the sound, which itself stretches some 80 miles long and up to 30 miles wide, one of the largest lagoons on the Atlantic coast. The byway passes small towns with colonial-era roots and weathered architecture, tracing a rural coastal way of life through swamp and open water views. Past the community of Scranton, the road runs for about seven miles through a natural tunnel formed by drainage canals and overhanging trees, with open fields and tree farms visible beyond the tree line on either side. Toward its far end, the byway skirts the Swan Quarter, Mattamuskeet, and Alligator River National Wildlife Refuges, three of the largest waterfowl habitats on the North Carolina coast, making this a strong route for birdwatchers as well as history-minded travelers.

• Pamlico River and Sound
• explored by the English in 1584
• seven-mile tree-canopy 'tunnel'
• Swan Quarter, Mattamuskeet, Alligator River refuges
• colonial-era towns
• eastern NC coastal plain