Pender: Discover Culture, Trails, and Hotels

When looking for a hotel in Pender, you can first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: historic sites, outdoor trails, or blueberry tradition. The destinations differ in their themes, trail lengths, and visiting conditions. This makes it easier to plan your trip around what you actually want to experience.

History and Architecture in Burgaw and Pender County

The tree-lined streets of historic downtown Burgaw feature a variety of 18th- and 19th-century architecture. The Burgaw Depot is also a prominent part of local history: it is considered the oldest railroad depot in North Carolina.

The Pender County Museum is housed in Burton-Noel House, Burgaw’s first brick house, built around 1917. The museum displays numerous artifacts related to Burgaw’s history. Another historic landmark is the Penderlea Homestead Museum. It is located in one of the first homesteads built by the Department of the Interior in 1936 at Penderlea Homestead Farms. The farms were a resettlement community in Pender County developed as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

Moores Creek National Battlefield marks the Patriots’ first major victory in the American Revolutionary War. The 0.75-mile History Trail crosses Moores Creek over a wooden bridge. As of September 2026, the visitor center was open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; check the hours before your trip.

Trails and Routes with Different Trail Profiles

Section 15 of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail includes both 19 miles of forest road through the 64,743-acre Holly Shelter Game Land and an eight-mile beach walk on Topsail Island. This offers two distinct route profiles: a long road section through a designated area and an extended beach route. Check route conditions and access before your trip.

For loop trails, distance and surface are useful points of comparison: the Osgood Canal Greenway and Urban Trail is a 2.2-mile loop of paved and concrete paths. Miller’s Pond includes a seven-acre pond and a 0.5-mile loop trail; the park also has a kayak launch. The Abbey Nature Preserve Trail offers a short walk along a sandy path. Check seasonal conditions and access before setting out.

Blueberry Tradition and Regional Experiences

The Pender County Blueberry Trail takes visitors to fresh blueberries, blueberry fields, downtown shops, restaurants, and historic sites. Stops and participating businesses may change. The North Carolina Blueberry Festival in Burgaw celebrates the historical, economic, and cultural significance of blueberries in southeastern North Carolina. Dates and programs change annually; check current event information.

Ghost Fleet Oyster Company offers educational tours of its oyster farm in Topsail Sound and Traps Bay. Confirm before your trip whether tours are available. The African American Heritage Trail spans all of Pender County; route details may change.

Getting There and Finding a Hotel

Pender County is accessible via Interstate 40, U.S. Highway 17, and North Carolina Highway 132. If you are looking for hotels in Pender, the topics mentioned can help structure your trip planning: Burgaw’s architecture and museums, the history at Moores Creek National Battlefield, or the different trail profiles.

Discover more destinations: Burgaw, Surf City, Topsail Beach, Hampstead, Stokes County, Durham, Onslow County, Lenoir.

Go to the main travel overview: North Carolina.