Facility Activities

Fishing pier into Wilna pond
Image Details

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.

Wildlife watching

Wildlife watching is a popular activity at Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge and available at all of our public access units. Visitors can find accessible wildlife observation platforms at the Port Royal, Hutchinson, and Wilna Units. 

Photography

Come practice your wildlife photography skills at Rappahannock River Valley! This activity is available at all of our public units. Visitors can find photography blinds at the Wilna Unit overlooking the pond and the Laurel Grove Unit overlooking Farnham Creek. The Wilna Unit blind can be...

Fishing

Come catch a fish at Rappahannock River Valley NWR. Fishing is available year round at our Hutchinson, Laurel Grove, and Wilna Units. (Cat Point Creek will be open in the near future). State regulations are enforced and use of live minnows for bait and lead sinkers are prohibited. Bass are...

Hunting

Hunting opportunities at Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge vary by unit, and include white-tailed deer, coyote, fall turkey, spring turkey, rabbit, squirrel, and waterfowl (see annual hunt letter: 2023 Hunt Letter). All state regulations apply. For...

Ranger-led programs

The refuge hosts Go Wild, an annual festival to celebrate conservation, at the Hutchinson Unit. The event includes kids’ programs, nature walks, conservation exhibitors, free raffles, and much more.

The refuge offers its annual Kids'...

Education programs

The refuge is proud to have environmental education sites at the Wilna Pond Outdoor Classroom (Richmond County) and the Hutchinson tract (Essex County). Both areas feature classroom sites (pond/creek, grassland, woodland habitats), fully accessible fishing piers, and accessible trails....

Hiking

Come experience nature on Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge by hiking some family-friendly trails. With few hills, trails have relatively little elevation gain, offering easeful walks and wildlife viewing opportunity around ponds and creeks. Need help navigating? Currently our...

Boating - non-motorized

Canoe/Kayak launch is available at our Wilna, Hutchinson, Laurel Grove, and Cat Point Creek Units.