ridgefield national wildlife refuge

Angelpi_14

A slow drive no matter what the weather and wildlife thrives, photographs of at least ten species of birds. We loved the walking trails too where tree frogs, turtles and variety of insects captivated our attention. Remind yourself of what the world was like before buildings with an escape inside this refuge!

Angeles

We drove down from Seattle and stayed the night. This is snow bird season, so most trails are closed and the tour is limited to a four mile one way circular drive and staying in the car is required. Wildlife was excellent. Lots of birds as well as coyote, deer, and mink swiming in the ponds. The car serves as a bird hide and helps minimize the impact of the humans on the birds. Excellent opportunity for photographs.Ironically, the park had few visitors in the first and last hour of the day when there is the best light. Biggest problem is some people who want to hog the one lane road and not let anyone pass. I am not sure if they are ignorant, do not want anyone in front of them, or think that God ordained them to set the pace for everyone. Keep to the left and people can pass you almost anywhere. Let each person choose where they want to pause and look.

HildulaL

Whether you're walking for exercise or to see the local flora and fauna this is a wonderful place. You can make your walk short or long and enjoy it in any season.

LLP1957

Took the 8 and 10 year old granddaughters through the refuge. Were able to identify 8 species of birds. Parked near the information building and walked for a short distance. Connected with a den of gardner snakes.....one of the park attendents came out and explained they weren't harmful and that we could pick them up if we were gentle. Little girls scream loud when holding a snake!

rtstuart

I grew up going to the River S and Carty Units of the RNW. Being an avid birder I loved to walk quietly through the grassland, forest and around the marshes looking for rare and not so rare bird species. A number of years ago they began closing the River S unit to foot traffic periodically. Kind of difficult to see rare birds from a car. Not to mention the exhaust coming from the cars constantly running. My recommendation would be to go to the Carty Unit and have a nice walk through the Oak and Douglas fir forest, there are few places near here that are as peaceful as that.

953LauraH953

This is an easy walk for children and elderly folk to visit and to see a long house constructed by the local Chinook Tribe. This is an historical site where Lewis and Clark met with the local Indians. Bonus points. the opportunity to see wildlife & birds is great!

Alexinbg

This place is great. Bring a camera with a good zoom, binoculars and sense of adventure. There are millions of birds and the opportunity to see so many at once is great. There is a driving loop and several walking paths. There are a lot of other non-birds here too.

jeffl989

This is a great place to visit if you're wanting to view wildlife on your own or are taking in the sights with your family. For the most part, the wildlife is viewed from the confines of your car, but there are a couple of walking opportunities provided for visitors--one of which is open only during late spring to late fall.Variety of wildlife depends on the time of year you visit, but spring, summer and fall are good viewing windows. Times of migratation is always active birding opportunity. Visiting during weekdays is best as traffic is at a minimum. In all cases, do bring binoculars.

wino74

We really enjoyed visiting this refuge last weekend. There is a nice walk in the northern section of the refuge near the plank house. It is not super well mark on some of the side loops so pick up or print off a little map before you go. We saw many early spring wildflowers but not much wildlife. Maybe other times or walking without kids, there may be more to see. The trail crossing the railroad tracks on a cool bridge at the trailhead. That was a special draw for the kids in our group. We paused to watch a train go under us. To really see wildlife, take the 4 mile drive in the southern section. We saw so many birds! Too many to name! Take your time, bring a snack and your binoculars!

NorthwestTravel13

This is the perfect spot for birders. There are several marshes and waterways you can drive by or in the summer, there's hiking. We haven't visited all of the refuge yet but intend to do more very soon. We've seen eagles, herons, turtles, a barn owl and many others -- always something different. Fun!

stook65

If you are a birder, go to the Ridgefield NWR. We did the 4.2 mile car tour and it is fabulous! You must stay in your car as the car is your blind and the birds are not afraid at all. Their was always room to pull over to view your find. We saw many many birds and ducks and I would do it all over again and again. We choose to go during spring migration and so we saw alot of activity. Happy birding.

hotgrandmacwt

This very large wildlife preserve is off the beaten track but only about 30 miles north of Portland, Oregon---really worth visiting.. You must drive through the reserve--no walking or getting out of cars. Full of bird life, deer and other creatures. We saw so many ducks and geese, a bald eagle couple feeding their babies, and lots of baby goslings with their parents. Turtles sitting on logs--very serene. A wonderful place for children and adults.

23buglight23

This well-preserved refuge delights with many amphibians, reptiles, wildflowers, rabbits, and of course BIRDS! The Native American long house is also spectacular.

JinaTe

I've never been this early, but will definitely come back in early spring. The flocks of geese, the beauty is all around. We did the loop-drive this time.

dag1951

I found this place after taking a birding class several years ago. Now we go there at least 4 times a year. The place is close to the freeway and there's usually someone there to give you advice about what birds are out and about. This trip we saw 22 different kinds of birds and 3 mammals! There's even a white nutria! Take time and explore this wonderful refuge and please donate a litte each time you visit!