Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland near the town of Cambridge, is one of the most important waterfowl refuges on the Atlantic Flyway — 28,000 acres of Chesapeake Bay tidal marsh, freshwater and brackish impoundments, mixed forest and agricultural fields along the Little Choptank and Transquaking Rivers, protecting one of the largest wintering concentrations of Canada geese and diving ducks on the East Coast.

The refuge is also home to one of the highest nesting densities of bald eagles in the eastern United States (outside of Florida) and a significant population of the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel (a large, endangered fox squirrel found only on the Delmarva Peninsula). The 4-mile Wildlife Drive provides exceptional accessible wildlife watching. Blackwater NWR is a treasured natural icon of Maryland.

Blackwater NWR offers wildlife watching and birding from the 4-mile Wildlife Drive (a one-way loop providing exceptional views of the tidal marsh, the impoundments and the wildlife — bald eagles, Canada geese, tundra swans, ducks, wading birds and the Delmarva fox squirrel are commonly seen from the car or at the pull-outs), hiking on the refuge trails and the new visitor center area, paddling the refuge’s waterway system (canoe and kayak launches available — paddling the marsh channels among the eagles and waterfowl is extraordinary), fishing (striped bass, largemouth bass, catfish in the refuge waters in season), and photography. The Wildlife Drive and bald eagle watching are the signature draws.

Fall and winter (October through February) are the peak seasons — tens of thousands of Canada geese and tundra swans arrive in October and November, the diving ducks (canvasbacks, redheads, buffleheads, ring-necked ducks) concentrate in the impoundments, and the bald eagles are most visible (up to 200 eagles have been counted on the refuge in winter). Spring brings the osprey return, the wading birds and the marsh birds. Summer is hot and the waterfowl are gone; shorebirds and herons concentrate. Fall through winter for the spectacular waterfowl and eagle concentrations is the highlight — visit in November for the peak goose and swan numbers.

Blackwater NWR was established in 1933 as a refuge for migratory birds, particularly the large flocks of Canada geese that once darkened the skies over the Eastern Shore. The refuge has protected a critical block of Chesapeake Bay tidal marsh that has been lost across much of the Eastern Shore to development, agriculture and sea-level rise. Significant marsh loss to sea-level rise is ongoing. The Delmarva fox squirrel recovery program at Blackwater has been a significant conservation success. Blackwater NWR preserves the Chesapeake Bay tidal-marsh ecosystem and its wildlife heritage, a treasured icon of the Maryland Eastern Shore.

Blackwater NWR occupies the Chesapeake Bay coastal plain of the Eastern Shore of Maryland — a low-lying, flat landscape of Holocene and Pleistocene coastal-plain sediments, with tidal marsh, shallow rivers and managed impoundments at or near sea level. The Chesapeake Bay tidal marsh is one of the most productive coastal ecosystems in North America — a nursery for blue crabs, striped bass and many other commercially important species. Sea-level rise is a severe ongoing threat: Blackwater NWR has lost over one-third of its marsh acreage to open water in the past century, one of the most dramatic examples of climate-driven marsh loss in the US.

Blackwater NWR is a wildlife haven — one of the highest bald eagle nesting densities in the eastern US (eagles visible year-round, with 200+ individuals in peak winter), massive concentrations of Canada geese (up to 35,000 in peak fall), tundra swans (thousands in fall and winter — spectacular), canvasbacks, redheads, buffleheads and other diving ducks, the endangered Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel (a large, distinctive fox squirrel, visible in the forest areas of the refuge), ospreys (nesting), great blue herons, and a diverse shorebird community. Blackwater is one of the finest waterfowl and eagle refuges on the East Coast.

Blackwater NWR protects a significant block of Chesapeake Bay tidal marsh — one of the most productive and biodiverse coastal ecosystems in North America, a nursery for blue crabs, striped bass and other species. The refuge is losing marsh to sea-level rise at an alarming rate (now among the documented frontlines of climate change in the US). Active marsh restoration, invasive-species control (Phragmites is a major invasive in the marsh) and managed impoundment water-level management are the primary conservation tools. Protecting the remaining marsh, the eagle nesting habitat and the Delmarva fox squirrel population is the primary conservation priority.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge holds a treasured place among the icons of the Maryland Eastern Shore — one of the finest waterfowl refuges in the eastern US, a winter eagle haven, the home of the Delmarva fox squirrel, and a vivid window into the Chesapeake Bay tidal-marsh ecosystem and the threat of sea-level rise. The annual arrival of tens of thousands of Canada geese and tundra swans is one of the great wildlife spectacles of the East Coast. Blackwater NWR is a cherished natural icon of Maryland.

Blackwater NWR is in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, about 12 miles south of Cambridge via MD Route 16 and Key Wallace Drive. The new visitor center and the Wildlife Drive entrance are clearly marked. The Wildlife Drive has a per-vehicle fee (covered by federal land pass). The visitor center has exhibits and a gift shop. Cambridge (12 miles north) has full services. Check the USFWS for current visitor center hours, Wildlife Drive status (seasonally closed for maintenance), paddling launch conditions and special programs before visiting.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service manages Blackwater NWR. Marsh loss to sea-level rise is the most acute conservation challenge; visitors can learn about and support coastal marsh restoration at the visitor center. Visitors help by staying on the designated Wildlife Drive and trails, not approaching or disturbing eagles and their nests, following all wildlife-watching ethics, not feeding any wildlife, respecting all fishing and hunting regulations, and packing out all trash. Supporting the USFWS Friends of Blackwater and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s marsh restoration work directly sustains the refuge.

The Wildlife Drive is safe and accessible (the main caution is wildlife on the road — eagles often sit in the road and must be given wide berth when vehicles approach). The marsh trails can be muddy and slippery (wear boots). Biting insects (mosquitoes and greenhead flies) are intense in summer; carry strong repellent. The paddling waterways are tidal — check tide charts before paddling, carry a map and be aware of changing tidal currents. Respect the wildlife on the drive, the muddy trails, the insects and the tidal currents when paddling.

Wildlife Drive fee per vehicle (federal land passes accepted). No hiking off designated trails. Hunting is permitted in designated areas in season (check USFWS for dates and areas — wear blaze orange if hiking during hunting season). Fishing requires Maryland licenses. No feeding of wildlife. Paddling launch is free; respect all posted area closures. Check the USFWS for current Wildlife Drive status, hunting season dates and rules before visiting.

The historic waterfront city of Cambridge (with the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park nearby — Harriet Tubman was born on the Eastern Shore), the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center (about 12 miles north of Blackwater in Church Creek), the Choptank River, the Chesapeake Bay watershed communities, and the Eastern Shore’s waterfowl hunting and farm culture define the region. Blackwater and the Harriet Tubman sites together create one of Maryland’s finest nature-and-history day combinations. The Eastern Shore’s blue-crab restaurants in Cambridge make a superb finale.

Drive the Wildlife Drive in the early morning in November for the peak waterfowl experience — the Canada geese and tundra swans in the impoundments, the bald eagles perched in the trees and circling over the marsh, and the diving ducks working the open water create a wildlife spectacle unlike most East Coast experiences. Bring a spotting scope for the distant ducks and the eagle nests. Paddle the refuge waterways (launch from the designated launch points) for the most intimate eagle and marsh experience. Visit the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center nearby before or after for a day that combines outstanding natural and historical significance.