If you’ve done any exploring of rivers and trails on national wildlife refuges, you know how rich, fun and varied the experience can be.
But did you know refuge land and water trails also boast some odd, quirky distinctions? Consider these.
On what refuges can you …
Salt ponds undergoing restoration along the Mallard Slough Trail at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge can look pink, blue-green or yellow, depending on salt level.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia claims that distinction. You can paddle water trails into forested wilderness and camp on platforms above bellowing alligators.
Charon’s Garden Trail is a popular rock scramble at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. It’s 4.8 miles out and back. San Lorenzo Canyon is a slot canyon trail at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.
On what refuges can you …
The Lombard Ferry crossing at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming sits at the juncture of four historic trails: the Oregon Trail, the Pony Express Trail, the Mormon Trail and the California Trail. You might even see wagon wheel ruts in the ground.
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in Montana is renowned as a dinosaur fossil site. The discovery in 2010 of a prehistoric sea creature called a plesiosaur encased in 75-million-year-old dirt/rock excited paleontologists. It’s illegal to collect rocks and fossils on public lands.
At Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada, the Visitor Center Trail pays homage to the Nuwuvi people, who have inhabited this Mojave Desert region continuously for thousands of years. Tribe members worked with refuge staff to design exhibits. At Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington, the Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a faithful re-creation of a historic dwelling of the Chinook Indian Nation.
On what refuges can you … indulge a long-shot hope of seeing some odd-looking animals?
On what refuges can you … challenge the usual rules?
On what refuges can you … enjoy some of the longest water trail systems in the National Wildlife Refuge System?
Refuges with some of the lengthiest water trail systems include Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska (140 miles), Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia (120 miles) and Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (96 miles).
Want FWS news sent to your inbox?
Sign Up
Pagination
Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Fun Facts About Refuge Rivers and Trails | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – US Fish and Wildlife Service
