OFF THE BEATEN PATH 



i mmp we 

 Alligator 

 River Refw/e 



By Alison Davis 



EAST LAKE — For most of us, 

 Dare County means many things. 

 Beaches and seafood. Graveyard of 

 the Atlantic. Kitty Hawk. Deep-sea 

 fishing. The Lost Colony. 



But there is another Dare County 

 — a lesser-known, wilder place 

 between a river and two sounds. 



To reach this other world, take 

 Buffalo City Road across from the 

 East Lake landfill. Head south, past 

 Tull's hunting shack, along the 

 glassy, black canals toward Sawyer 

 Lake. 



At first the road may seem 

 empty; the quiet, overwhelming. But 

 if you sit for a while, you will hear 

 the noises. The incessant hum of 

 mosquitoes. The flutter of green and 

 blue dragonflies. Songbirds. 



Look around. You may see 

 snakes, rabbits or a barred owl leav- 

 ing the dirt road for a flight into the 

 forest. 



If you want to see more, you will 

 have to work for it, paddling a canoe 

 or kayak along the black waters of 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 3 



