Mattamuskeet Lodge, New Holland (closed for renovations)
Located at the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge on North Carolina's largest natural lake, where visitors can enjoy hiking trails, boardwalks, canoeing/kayaking, world-class bird watching, wildlife observation, hunting and fishing. The Lodge was closed in 2000 due to structural problems, however, and in 2007 ownership of the historic facility was transferred from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the State of North Carolina. The State immediately began efforts to renovate the Lodge into a natural heritage museum and tourism magnet, but the economic downturn led to funding cuts by the Legislature in 2010 that have not been restored. Fortunately, rehabilitation of the strctural steel and roof was completed before the funding ran out, and the building is considered physically stable (including the iconic observation tower). Unfortunately, though, the interior is basically gutted and the Lodge remains closed to the public. As of September 2012, several million dollars worth of renovations are still needed before the Lodge will be able to resume its role as a focal point of Hyde County life and tourism.
