orolla's wild mustangs have thousands of acres on which to roam. When they're not out on the beach or dunes, they may be found nibbling anywhere among the trees, brush and weedy vegetation along the back roads. These roads are little more than dirt lanes in the best of cases, or deeply rutted sandy paths, and often only one lane wide.

      There are also many huge muddy puddles which must either be navigated around or through. It feels like you're fording streams at every other turn, and the mudhole situation seems to worsten every year. Getting stuck in one of these deep mudholes is not uncommon. Spending a lot of time backtracking and piloting your way around them on twisty, unfamiliar dirt roads can take the fun out of the adventure. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the public and private "roads" all look the same. It's not often easy to figure out where you can or cannot go without trespassing.

      It's also easy to drive right past the horses standing among the bushes by the road without ever seeing them. This makes it all the more difficult to search for the sometimes elusive wild mustangs of Corolla. All in all, it can prove to be a frustrating experience at times. Despite this, many people take to these back roads hoping to spot the wild horses.

     In any case, it is hardly so thrilling to see them standing in the brush with their heads hidden by tall weeds while they're eating as it is to watch them out walking on the beach, or standing high on the dunes. After all, that's the real attraction that brings horse lovers to this rugged, remote corner of Currituck Banks.

     Surely it is worth the trip to this special place for a chance to see these spirited Spanish mustangs standing by the ocean's crashing surf, looking East. It would almost seem as if they somehow know that somewhere over the horizon is where their ancestors came from so long ago.

How Do I Get There and See the Corolla Horses?