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Eastern Neck
National Wildlife Refuge		 Bald Eagles at Eastern Neck NWR
1730 Eastern Neck Road
Rock Hall, MD   21661
E-mail: r5rw_ennwr@fws.gov
Phone Number: 410-639-7056
Visit the Refuge's Web Site:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck		 Bald Eagles at Eastern Neck NWR. USFWS/Heffley/2007
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  Overview
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, a part of the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, is a 2,286-acre island located at the confluence of the Chester River and the Chesapeake Bay. Established in 1962 as a sanctuary for migratory birds, Eastern Neck NWR provides natural habitat for over 240 bird species - including American bald eagles and transitory peregrine falcons - and is a major staging site for tundra swans.

Eastern Neck NWR serves as a land-use model within the Chesapeake Bay watershed through its sustainable agriculture, wetland restoration and native landscaping.

An easy day-trip from the metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Philadelphia, and the nation's capital, Eastern Neck NWR is an increasingly popular nature tourism destination on Maryland's upper Eastern Shore, attracting over 70,000 visitors annually to its waterfront vistas, peaceful walking trails, and "watchable wildlife."


Getting There . . .
From the West: Take U.S. Rt. 50/301 East across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge ($2.50 toll). Continue on Rt. 301 North after Rts. 50 and 301 split. Exit Rt. 301 onto Rt. 213 North towards Chestertown. In Chestertown, turn left from Rt. 213 onto Rt. 291. At the end of this short bypass, turn right onto Rt. 20. Follow Rt. 20 South for 12 miles into Rock Hall. At the caution light, turn left onto Rt. 445. Follow Rt. 445 approximately 7 miles from Rock Hall to the refuge entrance bridge.

Get Google map and directions to this refuge/WMD from a specified address:

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These driving directions are provided as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.

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Wildlife and Habitat
Eastern Neck NWR has a high degree of habitat interspersion and diversity in woodland, grassland, open water, marsh, and cropland. The Island has approximately 15 miles of shoreline.

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History
Historical interest in Eastern Neck Island is rooted in the Colonial era, when it was among the first settled areas in the New World, and spans centuries of cultural change...

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    Recreation and Education Opportunities
Environmental Education
Fishing
Hunting
Interpretation
Photography
Wildlife Observation
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Managment Activities

Land development within the Chesapeake Bay watershed has had devastating effects on the ecology of our nation's largest estuary, evidenced by the decline in water quality and subaquatic vegetation. As the Bay's only undeveloped island with public access, Eastern Neck NWR assumes a key role in demonstrating land use - including sustainable agriculture, reforestation, wetland restoration, and "BayScape" gardening - that protects the Chesapeake and its tributaries from damaging runoff.