A Diverse Landscape
Tyrrell County is a perfect destination for your next eco-getaway. Tyrrell is situated in the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary of northeastern North Carolina. At more than 30,000 square miles (19.2 million acres), the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary is one of the largest and most biologically diverse estuarine systems in the country. Eighty-five percent of Tyrrell County’s land base is wetland, which provides critical habitat for more than 20 rare, threatened, and endangered species, as well as an abundance of waterfowl and neotropical migratory birds.  

Tyrrell County is truly a coastal community and our location has influenced our food, culture, and history. The Albemarle Sound to the north, the Alligator River to the east, and the Scuppernong River, which runs through the town of Columbia, provide a scenic backdrop to this historic town and a perfect location for a canoe trip or river cruise.  

The name Scuppernong comes from the Algonquin Indian word “ascopo” meaning sweet bay tree. “Ascupernung,” meaning place of the ascopo, appears on early maps of North Carolina as the name of what is now the Scuppernong River. Nearby Lake Phelps is the state’s second largest natural lake at over 16,000 acres. Thirty ancient dugout canoes, dating over 4,000 years old, have been found in the lake’s shallow waters.