Skip to main content
Illustration

North Carolina

When to catch Pee Dee Refugeat its best

Pee Dee Refuge through the year: spring migration (local timing: March, April, and May), wildflowers (3 separate phases, from March to May), fall foliage (local timing: September to November) and winter wildlife (2 separate phases, from September to November). Each has its own page with spots, sources and the latest reports.

RIGHT NOW · SEP 30

  • Latest reportNo dated report this season; the posters below show each usual window.
  • This weekend (NWS)Sat showers and thunderstorms likely, 86°F · Sun rain showers likely, 74°F
  • Park alertsCheck the managing agency before you go

When are you going?

Fall at Pee Dee Refuge

Where to go at Pee Dee Refuge

Spots, visitor points and places nearby
  • Spring
  • Fall
Places on this map, as a list
Map: approximate positions; state lines US Census.

Best spots

Where each event's source says to go

Spring migration

  • Wildlife DriveA 3-mile paved drive from the main entrance on Highway 52 North, through upland old fields, the Brown Creek bottomlands, the Sullivan moist-soil impoundment and an upland pine forest, with two hiking trails, an observation blind and a fishing pier at Sullivan PondU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Arrowhead LakeNamed by the refuge as a good place to photograph songbirds and waterfowl, as is G.T.R. RoadU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Wildflowers

  • Wildlife DriveA 3-mile paved drive from the main entrance on Highway 52 North, through upland old fields, the Brown Creek bottomlands, the Sullivan moist-soil impoundment and an upland pine forest, with two hiking trails, an observation blind and a fishing pier at Sullivan PondU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Tall Pines Nature TrailA 0.73-mile trail, with a 0.26-mile boardwalk section (Tall Pines Nature Trail Boardwalk)U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Fall foliage

Winter wildlife

  • Sullivan observation blindAt Sullivan Pond on the 3-mile paved Wildlife Drive, reached from the main entrance on Highway 52 North; the blind has benches and cover for photographersU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Gaddy Covered BridgeA second photo blind with benches and cover, on the 0.71-mile Gaddy Covered Bridge TrailU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Next 7 days at Pee Dee Refuge

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodaySunny86° / 61°–
  • ThuSunny88° / 64°–
  • FriSunny91° / 68°11% rain
  • SatShowers And Thunderstorms Likely86° / 62°62% rain
  • SunRain Showers Likely74° / 59°73% rain
  • MonChance Rain Showers72° / 49°38% rain
  • TueSunny67° / 45°5% rain

Today: sunrise 7:15 a.m., sunset 7:07 p.m., light until 7:33 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 78% lit (our calculation)

Visitor reports, not verified

Been here in the last week? Tell us how the trees looked.

What color were the trees?

Tap the one that looks most like what you saw.

One report per place for each day you saw it, no name or email · How reports work · Terms · Privacy

Nearby, and when they peak

Straight-line miles; roads are longer

Towns nearby

Straight-line miles; each town page has frost dates and its nature year

Pee Dee Refuge in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
Close-up of pale, dry grass seed heads against dark, dead stems
Dry grass seed heads at Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, February 7, 2015 (a past winter day, not a bird report). Photo: bobistraveling · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · resized

Questions people ask

Where can I photograph birds from cover?

The Gaddy Covered Bridge and the Sullivan observation blind both have benches and concealment for photographers.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pee Dee NWR: Photography ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where can I get a refuge map?

At the kiosk on Griffin Road, which has maps, information, and hunting and fishing permits in season. Grassy Island Road, three miles north of the refuge office, crosses the heart of the refuge and is a North Carolina Scenic Byway.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pee Dee NWR: Auto Tour ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I bring my dog?

Yes, on a leash or under your full control at all times. Feeding wildlife and swimming in refuge waters aren't allowed.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pee Dee NWR visit ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I fish in spring?

Yes. In spring the refuge is open for fishing, wildlife watching and photography.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pee Dee NWR seasons of wildlife ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages; checked Sep 28