"What can I do here?"  The refuge has more than 80 miles of trails open for hiking and biking.  Or you may prefer, the Lake Drummond Wildlife Drive Auto Tour in which case you can drive to Lake Drummond and stop at the boardwalks along the way for short walks back into the forest.   For more information...

Lake Drummond is a special place for boating and fishing.  Ask anyone that has ever spent a day wandering along the shore line between the ancient cypress trees. Access to the Lake can be from either the east, through Chesapeake and the Feeder Ditch, or from the west, through Suffolk and the Railroad Ditch entrance.  For more information...

Guided bus tours to Lake Drummond and guided nature walks are scheduled through our partner, Suffolk Tourism.  Contact them at 757-514-4130 for dates and tickets.

Most of our boardwalk trails are adorned with standing interpretive signage.

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Keep your cameras ready and your eyes and ears open! There are numerous opportunities for wildlife observation and photography:

• Miles of dirt roads function as long, straight, hiking and biking trails. 
• Four boardwalks trails will safely get you back into the forest for additional wildlife viewing opportunities.
• The Pines Trail, around the headquarters site and the Black Bear Trail, in the Portsmouth Ditch entrance, are dirt trails that take you off the open dirt roads.
• Lake Drummond is now open to boating year round.  

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Hunting on the refuge is for American black bear and White-tailed deer. Hunts take place each October and November on designated dates, 12 for deer hunting and 6 for bear hunting, and in designated hunt areas.  The two hunts occur on the same dates.  Each hunt requires a special refuge hunt permit as well as the appropriate state hunting licenses and tags. 

On hunt days, only the Washington Ditch and Portsmouth Ditch entrances are open to visitors for hiking and biking.  They are set aside as no hunting zones.

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