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Welcome

Important Notices for Refuge Visitors:

REFUGE ROAD UPDATE: Reconstruction of the gravel portion of the refuge road has been completed and the entire refuge road (from the entrance gate to Sandy Point) is now open.

As of May 30th, reconstruction of the boardwalk at Lot 1 is complete! Refuge visitors may now access that part of the beach via the newly refurbished boardwalk during the refuge's normal hours of operation (sunrise to sunset). Click here to read the related press release.

Bill Forward Blind Closed: Effective immediately, the Bill Forward Bird Blind is closed to all public access due to the presence of an active great horned owl nest. Because of a recent, dramatic increase in visitor traffic in the area of the nest, refuge managers are taking this action to reduce disturbance of the birds (which could hamper nesting success). Refuge staff are considering how guided nest viewing opportunities might be offered to the public on a limited basis. Those plans will be announced on this web site when they've been finalized. Clicking here will take you to a document that provides links to several live web cams featuring great horned owl nests.

 

Refuge News & Updates

• Explore the refuge with your GPS device! We have a new, GPS-based, self-guided interpretive tour called GeoQuest. Click here for more information.
• Here's our schedule of free public programs for June, 2013! Click here.
• Click here to access the Winter, 2013 edition of The Wrack Line, our quarterly newsletter. (A special note of thanks to volunteer editor, Ray Whitley!)
• Did you know that Rachel Carson wrote a brochure about Parker River NWR? Well, it's true, she did! Click here to view or download that historic document.
• Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is currently undergoing the Comprehensive Conservation Planning process. To learn more about this process, and to see newsletters and a schedule of upcoming public meetings, please visit our Refuge Planning website.

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Parker River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1942 to provide feeding, resting, and nesting habitat for migratory birds. The refuge occupies 4,662 acres on the southern two-thirds of Plum Island, a barrier island on the Northeast coast of Massachusetts, and is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, a federal agency. Parker River is one of over 550 Refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System, a national network of lands dedicated to "wildlife first." Today, Parker River provides pristine coastal habitat for over 300 species of resident and migratory birds, as well as a large variety of mammals, insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The Refuge also provides critical habitat for the federally threatened Piping Plover. In addition to its mission of wildlife conservation, the Refuge provides a variety of excellent wildlife-dependent recreational activities, including surf fishing, wildlife observation and photography, guided nature programs, and seasonal waterfowl and deer hunting opportunities. Parker River is also responsible for the management of Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Wapack National Wildlife Refuge. Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge also includes a 28-acre conservation easement in Concord, New Hampshire, which is managed primarily for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly. Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge is in the process of completing its 15 Year Comprehensive Conservation Plan. To find out more about this plan, please click here. To view a video about Parker River NWR, click here. Refuge rules and regulations can be viewed by clicking here.Information about applying for a Special Use Permit can be obtained by clicking here.

Enjoy your visit!