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Salmon Art Trail

Hiking

Long Island

Hunting

Camping

Photography

Fishing

Wildlife Observation

 

Salmon Art Trail

The Salmon Art Interpretive Trail was created to commemorate the restoration of a small stream near Refuge Headquarters.Visitors to the stream can now observe the spawning salmon from a curving ADA accessible boardwalk each fall. Artwork located along the boardwalk tells the story of the stream and the many species who live there. Students from the University of Washington Public Arts Program designed, constructed, and installed the artwork for the trail under the direction of professors John Young, Ian Robertson, and Jim Nicholls.

Visitors may find themselves perched on a mud-loving marine worm while picnicking on the back of a dragonfly. The first stop on a visit to the refuge might be picnicing on a table designed by UW art student Gary Carpenter. The species in Carpenter's table are mud-dependent and less glamorous, a deliberate choice becase the refuge staff wanted the artists' works to represent smaller, underappreciated species. The table top and surfaces of three benches are made of in-laid terrazzo, an ages-old art form in which brightly-colored stones and glass chips are mixed with cement and poured into shapes separated by thin, curving pieces of zinc. Near the dragonfly table, the Salmon Trail winds down a boardwalk that is ADA accessible. Everyone on the path has to step over "A Story in Shards," made of hammered bits of bronze inserted in the boardwalk surface. Artist Allison Blevins made them to represent shards of oil created by the breakdown of plants at the refuge. Farther up the trail are bronze sculptures of life stages of the tailed frog and western lampreys on a stone surface made by Jacqye Jones. The boardwalk is graced with 25 life-size bronze sculptures of the 13 species of amphibians found in the refuge. As people continue down the trail, they'll pass the contribution of Becca Weiss, a dozen painted aluminum birds that float on big, looping white stands. Even more noticeable are a run of 50 metal chum nailed high in trees.

The Salmon Trail is about one-quarter mile long and leads to the Cutthroat Climb loop, which continues another two-thirds of a mile. The loop rises -- and then falls -- steeply, with wooden steps making the going easier in places. A few huge old-growth hemlocks are interspersed among the smaller trees in the deep-woods experience.

Every few dozen yards, there's a nature lesson for young and old: The tracks of forest inhabitants such as deer, bear and raccoon are carved into slabs of tree truck. Lift up metal plates to uncover the names of the critter.

Trail hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm. Closed weekends and federal holidays

Hiking

Hiking trails at Leadbetter Unit at the tip of the Long Beach Peninsula allow visitors to walk through coastal woodlands, salt marshes, and beaches. Many miles of pedestrian only trails link the Leadbetter Unit with an adjacent Washington State Park. These trails can be flooded during the rainy season (October through May), so plan accordingly.

Hiking trails occur throughout Long Island. A network of old logging roads converted to trails provide well over 10 miles of hiking opportunities. One of the most popular destinations is the Trail of the Ancient Cedars, a ¾ mile loop trail near the center of the island, which takes visitors through the northern corner of the old growth forest. If you land your boat at the old ferry landing on the southern tip of Long Island and follow the center road north, the trail to the Grove of the Ancient Cedars is approximately 2.5 miles in.

The Cutthroat Climb trail that spurs off the Salmon Art Trail provides a climb into the forest surrounding Refuge headquarters. The trail is a moderate .75 mile long trail with steps cut into the hillside for easier movement up and down the ridge. Additional art pieces weave through the trail, providing a perspective of the natural world and fun for all ages.

Long Island

Long Island is the Pacific Coast's largest estuarine island. The island is 5,640 acres and includes a rare 274-acre remnant of old growth lowland coastal forest. Many of the red cedar trees in this grove are over 900 years old! The rain-drenched forests on the island grow rapidly and densely with salal, huckleberry, western hemlock, and Sitka spruce. Hundreds of species of mushrooms and other fungus are also found. NOTE: The harvesting of mushrooms is prohibited.

The rich forests provide homes to mammals such as black bear, Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, beaver, and river otter. Standing dead trees provide important nesting cavities for species such as pileated woodpeckers and flying squirrels while fallen trees are home to the rare Van Dyke's and Dunn's salamanders. The shaggy bark of the oldest trees provides homes for silver-haired bats and Pacific tree frogs.

The nutrient-rich marine environment surrounding Long Island supports oysters, clams, crabs, salmon, steelhead, and numerous other marine organisms.

Long Island can only be accessed by boat. Most of the campgrounds require a 6 foot or higher tide, however the landing directly across from Refuge Headquarters can be accessed at any tide. Additional launch facilities are located at the Nachotta Mooring basin in Nachotta on Long Beach Peninsula. Day use on Long Island is encouraged to minimize impacts on wildlife and their habitat; however camping is permitted on Long Island. Always carry a tide table, weather radio, and some form of communication when camping on Long Island. No potable water is available on Long Island. Plan on bringing water. To maintain the quiet, remote nature of the island, motor vehicles and power equipment are prohibited on Long Island.

State owned tidelands are open to public clamming on the western side of Long Island. You must possess a permit to harvest during season established by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Privately owned tidelands, outside of the public tidelands, surround Long Island and are closed to the public.

Camping

Although most national wildlife refuges do not allow camping, Willapa National Wildlife Refuge permits camping in designated spaces on Long Island. To minimize disturbances to wildlife and their habitats, no camping is permitted on the mainland portion of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. (For those interested in camping on the mainland, sites are available at the many area state and county parks and commercial campgrounds.)

There are five primitive campgrounds on Long Island with a total of 24 campsites. Each campsite includes a picnic table and fire ring. Cutting of live trees or standing dead trees is prohibited because they provide homes for wildlife, but collection of fallen wood is allowed. Because wood may not be available near the campsites, we recommend that you bring your own.

Camp sites are available on a first-come-first-serve basis only. Campers are required to register for specific campsites one week prior to the start of early elk archery season through the end of the early elk archery season. Registration is not required the remainder of the year. Early elk archery season generally takes place for three weeks in September, but exact dates vary. Leaving items unattended to hold a campsite is prohibited. Due to the high numbers of visitors during this period, no individual or group may camp for more than 14 days during this period.

Many different species of wildlife make their homes on Long Island, including numerous black bears. Camp "bear friendly" by hanging food and packing up your garbage. Adopt the "leave no trace" ethic to ensure a fun visit for yourself and those who follow. Please do not burn or leave trash.

For detailed information on camping, please contact Refuge Headquarters at 360-484-3482 or willapa@fws.gov.

CAUTION!
Tidal fluctuations, currents, extensive mud flats, and rapidly changing weather can make getting to and from the island difficult and occasionally dangerous. Carry a tide table and check weather forecasts. Walking on Willapa Bay mud flats requires special equipment. The fine silty mud can act much like quicksand. For updated tide information, please visit salt water tides. Select Tides, navigate to Washington and Willapa Bay. From this screen you can choose multiple tidal information around the Bay.

Hunting

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge provides opportunities for both big game and waterfowl hunters. Archery hunters interested in a remote hunting experience find Long Island a challenging place to pursue Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, black bear, and both ruffed and blue grouse. A refuge hunting permit is required to hunt on Long Island but there is no fee for the permit. Many people who hunt on Long Island prefer to camp overnight since tides can make travel to and from the island challenging. Most of the refuge lands on the mainland between Bear River and Teal Slough are open for those interested in hunting Roosevelt elk or black-tailed deer using modern firearms or archery.

For those interested in hunting waterfowl, portions of the Leadbetter Unit are open to walk-in duck and goose hunting. The Riekkola Unit is open to goose hunting only from blinds. Blind selection is done by lottery early the morning of each hunt. There is a small fee for use of the blinds. Funds from the fee go to help maintain the blinds. Although dogs are normally not permitted on the refuge, they are allowed when actively engaged in hunting waterfowl.
Please contact Refuge Headquarters for the refuge's complete hunting rules and regulations and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Fishing

Although it surrounds much of southern Willapa Bay, Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is not considered a prime fishing location. However, fishing is permitted from the shores of Willapa Bay. Most visitors interested in fishing on the refuge are in search of sturgeon. Occasionally, other species such as chum salmon are also attempted. Fishing is not permitted on the refuge streams or interior sloughs. For additional information, please see the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Photography

The Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge constructed a photography blind on a seasonal freshwater wetland in 2003. The best time of year to use the blind is during the winter and early spring when the wetland is full of water and feeding waterfowl. The blind is available by reservation only. To make a reservation, please contact Refuge Headquarters at 360-484-3482.

Birding

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to view and photograph a variety of wildlife. During the fall and spring migrations, the refuge is home to thousands of migrating shorebirds including dunlins, sanderlings, short-billed dowitchers, and black-bellied plovers.

The best place to view shorebirds on the refuge is on the ocean side of the Leadbetter Unit at a fairly high tide. At a medium tide, shorebird viewing is better on the bay side of the refuge as shorebirds come in to feed on the exposed mudflats. At low tide, shorebird viewing is difficult because the birds generally feed a long way out from shore, making them difficult to see even with a spotting scope.

The refuge is home to several endangered and threatened species including the snowy plover, marbled murrelets, and brown pelican. Other species that are commonly spotted throughout the refuge include bald eagles, great blue herons, peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, marsh wrens, and golden-crowned kinglets.

The freshwater marshes and pastures of the Lewis and Riekkola Units, located along the southern shore of Willapa Bay, attract perhaps the greatest variety of waterfowl on the refuge. The Riekkola pastures support large numbers of Canada geese in winter and serve as a local hotspot for songbirds in the spring.

Other Wildlife

There are many places on the refuge where you can commonly view and photograph large herds of Roosevelt elk. Black-tailed deer, black bear, and bobcat are more elusive, but still abundant on the refuge. If you're lucky, you may also spot playful river otters or harbor seals. The refuge is home to 13 species of amphibians. Rough skinned newts, Pacific tree frogs, and red-legged frogs are commonly seen on the trails on cool, moist days (watch where you step!). Other species such as Dunn's, Van Dyke's, and northwestern salamanders are more challenging to spot.

REMINDER: No dogs are permitted at any unit of the refuge, including trails and parking lots. For the protection of wildlife and the enjoyment of other visitors, please leave your pets at home.

Bird List

Mammal List


Amphibians and Reptiles List