This Northeastern North Carolina county - surrounded by the Pamlico Sound, the Alligator and Pungo Rivers, home to North Carolina's largest natural lake --Lake Mattamuskeet--, and bisected by the Intracoastal Waterway - is known as "the land of many waters". Ocracoke Island, once home to the pirate Blackbeard and now a tourist Mecca, is accessible only by air or water. Located at the southernmost tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island, in Hyde County, is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and boasts almost 16 miles of pristine, undeveloped beaches. Accessible only by Ferry, private boat or plane, Ocracoke is a oasis for the family, casual tourist, nature lover, fisherman, or recreational boater. An historic fishing village turned tourist attraction, the village of Ocracoke is home to the island's 800 year round residents and offers all the conveniences and services of a modern vacation destination with the laid back attitude of a place lost in time.
With four national wildlife refuges covering over 115,000 acres (including 50, 181 acres of Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge) within its bounds, the county is a haven for nature study, bird-watching, hunting, fishing and pursuing a quieter way of life. Hyde County is one of North Carolina's largest by acreage but has under 5500 residents. Mainland residents make their living farming or commercial fishing while Ocracokians depend heavily on the tourist industry. The county seat of Swan Quarter, and other communities such as Engelhard, Fairfield, Ponzer, Sladesville and Scranton and the quaint village of Ocracoke lay claim to the fact that there is not one stoplight in the entire county!