eastern shore of virginia national wildlife refuge

globaltrekster

Great place to visit right off of 13. The center itself has a small display section about the birds found on the refuge, a small gift shop (no food), and spotless restrooms. The trails in the back lead to a cemetery, an old military barrack and storage area, and one of the guns used on the USS Missouri. During the winter, the center does a free tour of Fisherman's Island, which is normally closed off to the public.

moonmermaid

How much time do you have? This is one of those places where you can spend an hour, or all day. The Rangers are very nice, and you will not feel crowded here. I like exploring and learning about those secret places, now mostly overgrown, but still accessible that were "the eyes" for our coastline and country in the wars. The flora/fauna is a great escape from city life, and the birds are a pretty happy bunch. Get out of your vehicle, get some of the freshest air on the East Coast, and take-in nature and history here. It's good for the soul and your aching back! Loved having my bike, safe and enjoyable place to ride.

ideal21

Visited here after crossing the bridge-tunnel. Nice place for a walk - didn't see many birds as I'd hoped , but I'm sure at the right time of day this would be a great place for birdwatching.

VickR295

We attended the butterfly seminar during the Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Festival. We enjoyed hiking the butterfly trail. The biggest thrill was seeing all of the monarch butterflies and spotting one that had been tagged!

119TomB119

This is a great place to stop. the personnel and very friendly and informative as to what to see and what to do. l;ots a nice walking trails. We saw a bald eagle that was pointed out to us by one of the park rangers.

ball82

lots of interesting displays and other information about the bay from environmental perspective, butterfly walk is pleasant and leads to a scenic lookout over the bay

Travelswell13

My friend and I stopped by on a whim and found a gem. We were on our way to the outer banks in NC and saw many butterflies and birds. Enjoyed the butterfly gardens in the front and back of the visitor center. Took a walk along the trails and saw several birds we don't usually see near home. It was such a lovely spot that we stopped back on our way home from vacation.

SKnaus

This was a great visitors center, we had just gone up and down the lighthouse so this cool stop was just what we needed. I was very surprised though by the great exhibits we ended up staying for a good time. I recommend stopping to any family looking for a bit of history.

cherylh903

We had been driving around for a while and wanted to stop to stretch our legs. We passed this place and decided it would do. We had a nice walk but didn't see any wildlife.

149terrie

A little gem of a wildlife refuge, lots to do for wildlife enthusiasts-must visit soon. The welcome center is a great place with lots of educational displays set up. The volunteers are very informative and helpful. Be sure to drive down to the boat ramp and talk with John Miller, he know the history of the area well and is very nice.

The_Moo_VA

We had a great time at the visitor center talking with three volunteers. They gave a brief history of the eastern shore and explained about the butterfly and bird migration. After some lively conversation, my husband and I ventured out to explore. We stopped at a place where there is a blind and you can see a grassland area. It was mid-day and the tide was out so there wasn't much activity. We then headed over to the bunkers and were intrigued by the history of it as a WW2 outpost to protect the east coast. We walked out to the bay area on the walkway and enjoyed looking at the birds and fishing boats. On the way back to the car we took the stairs to the top of the bunker and enjoyed the view from that perspective. I would recommend going during high tide rather than low, as they said there would be more wildlife activity.We plan to come back some time during the bird and/or monarch butterfly migration and bring my mom. It sounds like it would be an awesome experience.Definitely worth the time to stop in and explore.

SteveC122

Smaller refuge. Good visitors center, very helpful staff. Good shorter trails. Many species of butterflies and bords

84Hokie

I stopped by on my return trip from the Eastern Shore for a brief visit. It was recommended by my friend who lives on the Shore. I checked out the WW2 bunker - very cool! Has a 16" gun and shell similar to the size of the one that used to be there. On top of the bunker is a lookout deck. 69 steps to get up there but well-worth it. The marsh view deck was also very nice - felt I could see even more from that point. Vegetation profuse and big holly trees were in bloom and smelled so nice. I felt the birds and butterflies appreciated the whole area which was a former air force base. The Center was well-appointed and wished I could have spent more time to see the displays they had. Clean restrooms and a small gift store area.

RalphB85

i hike the few trails, and went kayaking in the marshes. Could only go so far due to wind and low tide.

112PCS112

Hike to the observation platform on a clear day above the old gunneries for a nice view. Off-season, you get another great view from the boat launch area (separate area for canoe as well).