Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Getting There: From I-5 northeast of Olympia, take Exit 114 and follow the signs to the refuge.  Note: The trails and Refuge are open from sunrise to sunset. Visitors must be out of the Refuge by sunset when the entrance gate is locked each evening. The daily fee is $3.00 per family. A Golden Eagle, Golden Age, or Golden Access Passport, Federal Duck Stamp, or an Annual Refuge Pass will admit one family. Each of these passes is available for purchase at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Administration Office and Visitor Center.  The Refuge office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The Visitor Center includes a bookstore, an information desk, a view of the freshwater marsh, and interpretive exhibits. It is open Wednesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., but closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

Where to go: Pick up a trail map from the fee kiosk outside the visitors center, which has extensive displays on the history and ecology of the area. This boardwalk trail offers a great introduction to the refuge; it is open year-round and can be picked up on either side of the visitors center. Its three short spurs lead to a wildlife-observation platform and two overlooks of the Nisqually River and the forest environment. A 5.5-mile loop trail follows the tops of dikes to the north, closer to Puget Sound.  To view a map click here:  http://www.fws.gov/nisqually/nisqually_map.html

Setting:  The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a combination of Freshwater Marsh, Open Grasslands, Riparian Woodland, Brush Habitat, Saltmarsh, and Open Mudflats.  It is a biologically rich and diverse area that supports a variety of habitats.  The riparian woodlands and brush habitats are ideal locations for winter wrens, woodpeckers and the occasional great horned owls which can be seen around the large cottonwood, alder, and big leaf maple trees growing along the Nisqually River. Along McAllister Creek, crabapples, roses, and blackberries provide a smorgasbord for songbirds. Watch for evening grosbeaks, cedar waxwings, and finches.  The freshwater marshes and open grasslands provide a great area for migratory waterfowl and are great places for hawks, coyotes, and owls to catch an easy meal.  The marshes give protections to marsh wrens, soras, bitterns, and salamanders.  The saltmarsh and open mudflats bring rich nutrients to the variety of clams, crabs, worms, and shrimp living in the mud, while these creatures in turn feed shorebirds, gulls, ducks, and herons.

Best Time to See the Birds:  This is great place to go birding all year round but please note that part of the year segments of the trail are closed.  From mid-October to late January, three miles of the Brown Farm Dike Trail and part of the McAllister Bank Fishing Area are closed because they are adjacent to hunting areas. The trail and bank fishing areas are closed to provide an undisturbed area for birds to rest and feed and for safety of visitors.  There are four miles of refuge trails that remain open during the hunting season including the Twin Barns Loop Trail, the Ring Dike Trail, and 2 miles of the Brown Farm Dike Trail. Trail walkers should be aware that goose season is still occurring during this time and gunshots may be heard and hunters may be seen on the delta.

Birds Commonly Seen:  Red-throated  and Common Loons, Pied-billed, Horned and Western Grebes, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Band-tailed Pigeon, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Cliff and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Chickadee’s, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick’s Wren, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and numerous warblers.  For a complete listing of birds, when they are seen and how common they are please go to:  http://www.fws.gov/nisqually/birds.html

Restrictions: Pets, jogging, bicycles, fires, camping, and firearms are not allowed on the Refuge.

For more information:  Contact the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, 100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, WA 98516, Phone: (360) 753-9467, Fax: (360)534-9302.   http://nisqually.fws.gov/;  http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/chekbird/r1/nisquall.htm