Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware, United States.
The refuge encompasses 10,000 acres of freshwater marshes, salt marshes, ponds, wooded swamps, upland grasslands, and forests along the Delaware Bayshore.
Established in 1963 under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, this area transformed from agricultural land into a protected sanctuary for migratory birds.
The annual Horseshoe Crab Festival in May brings together nature enthusiasts to observe and learn about the Delaware Bay's ecological significance.
Four county roads provide access through the marshes, while 7.5 miles of hiking trails offer opportunities for wildlife observation and nature photography.
The refuge supports 308 bird species, 51 fish species, 45 reptile and amphibian species, and 37 mammal species within its diverse wetland ecosystem.
Location: Delaware
Inception: 1963
Operator: United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Website: https://fws.gov/refuge/prime_hook
GPS coordinates: 38.84780,-75.26690
Latest update: March 10, 2025 12:07
Delaware maintains a network of natural areas, historic sites and cultural institutions distributed across its three counties. In northern New Castle County, visitors find railroad museums, botanical gardens and forested state parks along Brandywine Creek, while the southern Kent and Sussex counties contain extensive coastal refuges, marshlands and Atlantic beaches. The state also preserves colonial-era sites, eighteenth-century plantations and regional history museums. Natural areas include Bombay Hook and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuges, which serve as important stopover points for migratory birds, and Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore State Parks along the coast. Trap Pond State Park in the interior protects one of the northernmost bald cypress swamp forests in North America. Cultural sites range from the Hagley Museum, which documents early industrial history, to the Wilmington and Western Railroad and smaller institutions such as the Nanticoke Indian Museum and Johnson Victrola Museum. Historic structures include Fort Delaware, wooden covered bridges and the New Castle Court House Museum.
United States lightship Overfalls
13.4 km
Zwaanendael Museum
13.8 km
Ryves Holt House
13.5 km
Fort Saulsbury
11.1 km
Mispillion Light
11.8 km
Thomas Maull House
12.5 km
Cool Spring Presbyterian Church
12.6 km
De Vries Palisade
2.8 km
Milton Historic District
8.8 km
Delaware Breakwater Range Front Light
11.2 km
Delaware Breakwater Range Rear Light
10.6 km
Col. David Hall House
13.8 km
Coleman House
13.9 km
Fisher's Paradise
11.9 km
William Russell House
12.6 km
Hazzard House
8.3 km
Gov. James Ponder House
9.2 km
David Robbins Homestead
6.3 km
Draper-Adkins House
8.8 km
Lewes Historical Society
13.4 km
Lewes Presbyterian Church
13.9 km
Lewes Historic District
13.5 km
Troll Hill
14 km
Milton Theatre
8.6 km
Lewes Town Clock
13.7 km
Mispillion Light
11.8 km
Lewes Railroad Swing Bridge
14.2 km
Pilotview
12.6 kmReviews
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