Croatan National Forest Recreation Area

The Perfect Spot - Kayaking, Boating, Hiking

The Croatan National Forest at Cedar point is located on VFW Road off Highway 58 going toward Emerald Isle, North Carolina. There is a boat ramp, nature trail, parking, picnic area and bathrooms.

John & Lucille's Country Retreat is only 10 minutes from the Cedar point Boat ramp and the National Forest. Visit http://www.stellacountryretreat.com/ for information on renting the farmhouse.

Tideland Nature Trail

The nature trails wind through the woods, across wooden walkways, and down to the White Oak river. You can get a beautiful view of the river and the marshlands.

The paths are gravel, making it a great place to jog or casually stroll. You can take a short or long walk. The paths circle around and bring you back to main path or can enjoy all the twist and turns of this nature trail. Wonderful for children and adults.

Boat Ramp
It is a great spot to launch a kayak and paddle out to Jones Island, across the White Oak River and under the Swansboro Bridge, and then up the intra-coastal Waterway. There are lots of sandy beaches to pull up and have lunch. At low tide it can be difficult for boats. Check the tide schedule before coming. Otherwise, it is a great boat ramp.

Picnic Area, Parking, & Bathrooms

There is a grassy area with picnic tables, grills and lots of shade. There is plenty of parking for cars and larger parking spaces for those pulling boats. The bathrooms are always clean. It is a perfect place to bring children for a picnic and hike the nature trail.

Croatan National Forest - Only Minutes Away

The John & Lucille Country Retreat , located off Highway 58 in Stella, North Carolina, is surrounded by a vast area of the Croatan National Forest making it perfect lodging for hunters coming to the coastal region. The Retreat is 4 Bedrooms, 3 baths with an outside shower. There is a large carport for grilling as well as room to wash and park boats on the property. It's just a wonderful place to relax after a day of hunting or fishing and close to everything the Crystal Coast has to offer.

Croatan National Forest has some of the best hunting in North Carolina. All the surrounding water and lush forest provides exceptional habitat for deer, black bears, turkeys, waterfowl, osprey, and 'gators. There is great kayaking and canoeing on the rivers and lakes along with hiking trails for bird watching and just enjoying the beautiful forest. Mike Marsh in his article about Black Bears on the North Carolina Game and Fish Website states that, "the vast Croatan National Forest in Jones, Craven, and Beaufort Counties is one of the top produces for bear hunters in the coastal region." Of course, Croatan is a deer and duck hunters haven also.

According to the USDA Forest Service, Croatan National Forest is 160,000 acres of pine forest, saltwater estuaries, bogs and pocosins in Jones, Craven, Beaufort and Carteret Counties. It is bordered on three sides by the White Oak River, Trent River, Neuse River and mumerous creeks as well as Bogue Sound. It encompasses the towns and villages of Stella, Cedar Point, Cape Carteret, Maysville, Pollocksville, Havelock, and Newport with New Bern being nearby. It has three major lakes: Catfish Lake, Great Lake, and Long Lake. Major highways are NC 58, 17, 70, and 24 making driving to the forest easy.

Boat ramps in Croatan are at Catfish Lake, Great Lake, Cedar Point, and Haywood Landing. There is also a boat ramp at Stella on the White Oak River and Cedar Point at the Inland WaterWay.

For a brochure on Croatan call: 252-638-5628 or visit http://www.ncwildlife.org/
For additional information click on this link: Croatan and then click on Carolina Connections, for Cradle of Forestry page 16.

Visit John & Lucille's Country Retreat website for full list of ammenities and rates.