The refuge offers excellent opportunities for bird watching and hiking. Foot trails wind through a variety of habitats, from spruce-fir woodlands to grasslands to freshwater and saltwater marshes to mudflats. On Petit Manan Point, the Hollingsworth Trail is a 1.5-mile loop with views of heaths and cobble beaches. Interpretive signs offer insight into refuge wildlife, habitats, and management. The Birch Point Trail (four miles round trip) begins in a blueberry field and leads to the salt marshes of Dyer Bay, passing through a mixed-wood forest. A hiking trail on the Gouldsboro Bay Division is under development.
Seabird islands are closed to the public during the nesting season, April 1 - August 31, to minimize disturbance to the birds. Commercial tour boats provide views of nesting seabirds on Petit Manan and Machias Seal islands.
Portions of the refuge are open to in-season hunting. The Gouldsboro Bay and Sawyer's Marsh divisions are open to migratory game bird and waterfowl and small and big game hunting. Bois Bubert Island is open to white-tailed deer hunting only. Many refuge islands are open to migratory waterfowl hunting, please contact the refuge for more information. The Petit Manan Point Division is open to muzzleloader hunt season only.
Your cooperation is appreciated....
To protect the refuge's wildlife and habitats, please comply with the following:
- The refuge is open during daylight hours only.
- Dogs are allowed on mainland divisions only and must be on hand-held leases no longer than 10 feet.
- Snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and open fires are not allowed.
- Blueberries may be hand-picked; raking is not allowed.
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