Woods Bay State Natural Area offers a close-up look at the unique geology of the Carolina bays of the Atlantic coastal plain, along with the mystery and diverse ecology of a southern cypress-tupelo swamp.

Habitats at 1,540-acre Woods Bay also include marsh, sand hills, oak-hickory forest and a shrub bog. More than 75 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians are found here, along with more than 150 species of birds, changing with the seasons.

Visitors enjoy canoeing, fishing, walking, hiking and photography on the 500-foot boardwalk, canoe trail and nature trail.

Woods Bay was registered as a Heritage Trust Site in 1981 for its outstanding example of a Carolina bay.