Assabet River NWR

Welcome to the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge!

Youth Conservation Corps Crew Leader Summer Employment Opprtunity

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Project at Assabet River NWR

February Programs

Refuge hunt permits for all seasons have been issued except for the youth spring 2010 turkey permits. Please check back by July 1st to apply for the 2010-2011 season.

Parking is Restored at Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
After weeks of road construction at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge (refuge), visitors can once again access the Refuge from Hudson Road in Sudbury. Significant progress on new parking lots, a walkway, and a new entrance road to the visitor center was made this fall. Road construction has ceased for the winter, and the project will be completed next year. For now, though, starting Saturday, December 12th, visitors will be able to park on Patrol Road at the refuge. Once you pull off of Hudson Road and enter the refuge, please turn left. A small, grassy parking area on your left has been established to accommodate approximately 6-8 vehicles. This will be the temporary parking area until the new parking area by the kiosk is completed next year. Visitors may also continue to park at the North Gate parking area, off White Pond Road in Stow.

Once this road construction project is completed, visitors will be able to park in three different locations: by the kiosk on Patrol Road at the main entrance on Hudson Road, at the visitor center, and near Puffer Pond. Future plans for further improving visitor access include permanent improvements to the North Gate parking area and the construction of a small parking area in Maynard on Old Marlborough Road at the Refuge's east gate.

We realize this has been an inconvenience to visitors - we are balancing visitor safety and construction efficiency as best as possible. The anticipated spring 2010 opening of the new visitor center is on schedule. We are so excited and look forward to offering a new facility to the public along with programming and environmental education opportunities in 2010! Please email Susan_J_Russo@fws.gov or call 978-443-4661 x34 if you have further questions and/or concerns.

Volunteers Needed to help us with the new visitor center! As we prepare for and anticipate the exciting opening of the new visitor center, we are in need of volunteers to help us make it a success! If you are intetested in being a greeter and/or interpreter, please call 978-443-4661 x34 or email Susan_J_Russo@fws. gov to learn more today. We are looking for people who can donate atleast one four hour shift a month.

Download our new trail guide!

2010 Intern Positions The Amphibian & Reptile Biologist and General Biologist Postions for the Complex have been filled.

Lands purchased with Federal Duck Stamp Dollars. Read the news release (85kb pdf) and check out the photos (1.56 MB pdf) and maps (3.64 MB pdf).

The refuge, part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, encompasses 3.5 square miles located within the towns of Hudson , Maynard, Stow and Sudbury. Formerly part of Fort Devens, this area was known as the Sudbury Training Annex. The U.S. Army transferred 2,230 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the fall of 2000. Our primary purpose is to manage these lands for migratory bird conservation.Assabet River is one of eight refuges within the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, which is headquartered out of Great Meadows NWR and located at 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, Massachusetts, 01776. For more information about Assabet River NWR, visit the Weir Hill office weekdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, contact the Refuge Manager at (978) 443-4661 or visit the Friends of Assabet River NWR at www.farnwr.org.

Children and Nature

Interagency Pass Program (replaces former federal access passport programs)

Proposal to Bring Blanding's Turtles to Assabet River NWR

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to establish a new population of Blanding's Turtles at Assabet River NWR. Although the public comment period has closed, you can view the latest draft environmental assessment.

Recreational Opportunities

At the Assabet River NWR, the public is invited to engage in appropriate, compatible wildlife-dependent public use. The terms “appropriate” and “compatible” come from the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, which established the mission for the refuge system and developed overall guidance for management of the system.

The Refuge is open from one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset. Wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities, including wildlife observation, photography, interpretation, and environmental education, are permitted on designated trails. The refuge first opened for wildlife-dependent recreational use in March 2005. A phased opening of trails was announced in the 2005 Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the refuge. Based on feedback from visitors, volunteers and our Friends group, and due in large part to our decision to construct the Complex’s visitor center at Assabet River NWR, we have reworked the trail system. We opened more than 4 miles of new trails for the public. At the same time, 2.5 miles of roads and trails were closed. A total of 16 miles of trails and roads are open for wildlife-dependent public use at the refuge.

We are not currently charging a fee for use of the refuge trails or parking area. We will institute a fee program in the future.

Fishing and hunting are allowed subject to refuge regulations, State and Federal laws and permit restrictions. The most intense hunt period is during the shotgun deer season. Most other times, hunt pressure is generally light. Please refer to information in the kiosks or on the refuge website for more information about hunt seasons. Fishing is allowed at Puffer Pond on Trail Z at the Barron Fishing Access Site. Kayak and canoe access is allowed off Craven Lane (carry in only at this time).

All of the refuge lands are closed to horses and motorized vehicles. Dogs are not allowed. Bicycles are allowed as of June 1, 2009 on Winterberry Way, Harry's Way, Taylor Way, White Pond Road and Patrol Road ONLY. There are no picnic areas or campsites on the refuge. Construction of a 5,000-square foot visitor center, just northeast of trail intersection 13, began in spring of 2008 and tentatively opens in spring 2010.

At this time, parking is available onWhite Pond Road in Stow . Visitors can also walk to the refuge by way of the new sidewalk contsructed alongside Hudson Road by the Town of Sudbury.

Please be aware that vehicles operated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Air Force staff, volunteers and contractors, may be operating on refuge roads and trails.

We are a pack it in, pack it out "Leave No Trace" refuge. Please help us keep the refuge clean by bringing home your trash.

To help you plan this and future visits to the refuge, please consider the following trail lengths:

The large wetland complex and the contiguous forested areas found here today are important feeding and breeding areas for migratory birds. We ask that you help conserve this unique natural habitat and minimize disturbance to wildlife by staying on designated trails.

Have a safe and enjoyable visit to the refuge!

Eastern Massachusetts Complex Visitor Center proposal

FAQ about our ban on dog walking

Friends of Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Refuge Hunt Brochure (924 kb pdf)

Migratory Bird Hunt Seasons

Refuge Hunt Seasons Concur with State Seasons

Return to the Complex Home Page

Visit the Comprehensive Conservation Planning Page

Visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page

Privacy/Disclaimer

Federal Relay Service for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

1-800-877-8339