Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge Run By The US Fish And Wildlife Service, Established In 1963 To Protect Coastal Marsh And Upland Habitat For Migratory Birds On The Lower Delaware Bay · Milton, Delaware

Prime Hook is a federal wildlife refuge of roughly 10,000 acres on the western shore of Delaware Bay, a few miles north-east of Milton, set up in 1963 to give migrating ducks, geese and shorebirds a place to rest and feed. It is a patchwork of salt and brackish marsh, freshwater creeks, loblolly pine and hardwood woods, old farm fields and grassland, cut off from the bay by a thin line of dunes and the small beach community of Prime Hook Beach. That dune line is part of its recent story: storms, and above all Hurricane Sandy in 2012, broke through it and turned much of the marsh into open salt water, and a major restoration in the mid-2010s rebuilt the dune and reshaped the channels so tidal marsh could grow back. Visitors come for birds in spring and autumn, for a quiet paddle up Prime Hook Creek, and for several short trails near the headquarters. It is low-key and usually uncrowded, with no entry fee as far as is known, but summer brings greenheads, mosquitoes and ticks in real force, and hunting seasons close parts of it.

11978 Turkle Pond Road, Milton, Delaware, 19968, United States

The refuge lands, trails and roads open to the public are generally open every day from about sunrise to sunset, and are not meant for visits after dark; plan any evening birding so you are back at the car by dusk. The visitor center and headquarters on Turkle Pond Road keep much shorter hours than the trails: it has usually been staffed on weekdays, with some weekend days in the busier spring and autumn seasons, and it is closed on federal holidays, so on many weekends the building will be shut while the trails are open. Restrooms are at the visitor center area and may be locked when it is closed - confirm. Parts of the refuge, including some trails and roads, close during managed hunting seasons for deer, waterfowl and other game, mainly in autumn and winter, and on some hunt days an area can be closed for all or part of the day. Beach areas on the bay side may be closed in spring and summer to protect nesting shorebirds. High tides, storm damage and restoration work can also close roads or the paddling trail for a time. Confirm current hours, visitor center days and hunt closures before a long drive.

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