Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
The Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge is located at the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. It contains 1415 acres of maritime forest, myrtle and bayberry thickets, grasslands, and fresh and brackish ponds, important habitat for wildlife that changes constantly with the seasons.
In the fall, the refuge serves as a gathering place for migrating birds, which wait for favorable wind and weather to cross the Chesapeake Bay. Hawks, falcons, and songbirds are common on the refuge from late August to early November. The refuge also supports osprey platforms with a live video feed of nesting activity of one platform available in the Visitor Center during nesting season.
In the spring, shallow waters and moist grassy areas provide food for marsh and shorebirds. Throughout the year, black ducks and great blue herons feed in refuge marshes, and refuge woodlands provide year-round habitat for Carolina chickadees, great horned owls, eastern screech owls, Carolina wrens, and several species of woodpeckers and warblers.
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Hours
The refuge is open from a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset.
The Visitor Center is open:
November - April: Friday - Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
May - October: daily, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Visitor center is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
(Note: Many places fill to capacity on busy, nice weather days, especially holiday weekends. Please call ahead or visit the official website to get the most up-to-date information before visiting.)
Fees
There are no fees to visit any parts of the refuge and visitor center.
Activities
The refuge is open year-round for hikes along the half-mile butterfly trail, and the half-mile Wildlife interpretive trail that loops through mixed hardwoods and past an old graveyard to a salt marsh overlook. Climb to the top of a World War II bunker for a panoramic view of refuge marshes, barrier islands, bays, inlets, and the Atlantic Ocean. The refuge also has a photography blind that overlooks a freshwater pond.
Visitors are encouraged to enjoy the refuge, but may not use metal detectors, picnic, and collect plants, animals, or artifacts.
At the visitor center, a wildlife viewing area provides an up-close look at waterfowl, waders, and shorebirds. A "touch table" enables hands-on interaction with remnants of different refuge habitats.
History
The southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula is an important migratory bird stopover location along the Atlantic coast. This narrowing peninsula created by the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean causes a funneling effect on the birds as they fly south.
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