Visit Us
Are you ready to explore your local National wildlife refuge? Rappahannock River Valley offers many wildlife-dependent activities for you to enjoy and reconnect with nature. Take a walk on one of our five miles of nature trails and listen closely to hear (and sometimes see) wildlife! Enjoy fishing or paddling in one of the many peaceful creeks and ponds we protect. Practice your wildlife photography and observation skills or learn something new by stopping by one of our many interpretive kiosks. There's an activity for everyone at Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge!
Need to Know:
Visiting the refuge is completely free. When enjoying the outdoors, please be mindful of the elements. It is a good idea to wear bug repellant and sunscreen while fishing or walking along a nature trail. Always check for ticks after spending time outdoors. Sources of potable water are not readily available. In order to stay properly hydrated it would be beneficial to bring drinking water along on your visit. Restroom facilities are located near the Wilna and Laurel Grove ponds. At the Hutchinson Unit, there are restrooms near the pavilion and near the pier.
Activities
Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge welcomes visitors to participate in a variety of wildlife-dependent activities. These activities were determined to be legitimate and appropriate uses of the Refuge System in 1997, when the President of the United States signed the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act into law.
Activities you can enjoy include wildlife observation, photography, hunting, fishing, environmental education, interpretation, hiking and paddling. Please note that not every unit offers all of these activities and some activities, like hunting, are only offered seasonally. See below for more information.
Trails
Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge trails provide family-friendly, wildlife viewing opportunities. The refuge is currently made up of five public units all open year-round from dawn to dusk. With few hills, trails have relatively little elevation gain, offering easeful walks around our ponds and creeks. Need help navigating? Currently our Wilna, Hutchinson, and Port Royal Units have trail maps that can be picked up at their entrance kiosks.
Related Documents
Five units are open to the public in Richmond, Essex, and Caroline Counties. Nature trail and water trail maps can be located at headquarters and unit kiosks. Attached below are also available PDFs to help you plan your visit. Currently, there are no trail maps of the Wellford or Laurel Grove units. Please read the trail descriptions or call headquarters for more information about these units.
Other Facilities in the Complex
Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge is managed as a part of the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is comprised of four different refuges. Please click the links below to learn more about these refuges.
Rules and Policies
Public units on the refuge are open to dawn to dusk.
Pets are prohibited on the refuge.
Disturbing or collecting plants, animals, or artifacts is prohibited.
Swimming, camping, and fires are also prohibited on the refuge.
Please take out any trash you bring in.
Locations
Wilna Unit/Administrative Office
336 Wilna Road
Warsaw, Virginia 22572
804-333-1470 Ext. 111
Directions: Turn north on Newland Road (Route 624) from US-360. Proceed for 4.2 miles and turn left onto Strangeway Road (Route 636), proceed for 0.25 miles. Turn right onto Sandy Lane (Route 640) and continue for 1.1 miles. Turn left into the refuge.
Hutchinson Unit
19180 Tidewater Trail
Tappahannock, Virginia 22560
Directions: Refuge unit is located 1.5 miles north of Tappahannock on US-17 (south-bound).
Laurel Grove Unit
736 Laurel Grove Road
Farnham, Virginia 22460
Directions: Turn south onto Farnham Creek Road (Route 608) from VA-3 and proceed 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Hales Point Road (Route 647) and continue for 2.4 miles. Turn right onto Laurel Grove Road (Route 610). Parking for the pond and nature trail will be on your right.
Port Royal Unit
Caroline Street
Port Royal, Virginia 22535
Directions: Take US-360 West (toward Tappahannock). Turn right onto US-17 North and proceed to US-301 (about 25 miles). Turn right onto US-301 North. Proceed to Caroline Street (about 0.7 miles). Turn right onto Caroline Street. Road ends at refuge.
Welford Unit
241Coates Lane
Warsaw, VA 22572
Directions: From Tappahannock (Route US-17) turn right onto US-360 north. Proceed 2.8 miles and refuge will be on the left.
Cat Point Creek Unit (opening date TBD 2022)
2570 Newland Road
Warsaw, VA 22572
Directions: Turn north on Newland Road (Route 624) from US-360. Proceed for 2.1 miles and turn right into the refuge.