Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge, one of the national wildlife refuges operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, located in the westernmost part of Clark County, Washington. The refuge protects more than 5,200 acres (2,100 ha) of marshes, grasslands, and woodlands.To visit Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and get the most from your holiday in Ridgefield, create itinerary details personal to you using our Ridgefield road trip tool.
The refuge was established (along with 3 other refuges in the Willamette Valley of Oregon) in 1965, in response to a need to establish vital winter habitat for wintering waterfowl with an emphasis on the dusky Canada goose whose nesting areas in Alaska were severely impacted by the violent earthquake of 1964.
Ridgefield NWR is part of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex, headquartered in Ridgefield, Washington, which oversees the management of four refuges in the southwestern part of the state: Ridgefield, and three refuges in the Columbia River Gorge: Franz Lake, Pierce, and Steigerwald Lake. This place was closed in spring of 2019 to cut down Douglas fir and change the trail. In fall of 2020, the construction of a new multi-purpose building began. The new multi-purpose building will be a construction type V-B and consist of a 4,415 square foot single story building with an associated balcony and basement area. The building is being constructed to provide the fish and wildlife staff office space, meeting space, and an area for public visitors including volunteers and conservation partners.
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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge reviews
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We go here all the time.The beauty of a visit here is that no two times are ever the same.The road can be a bit rough,but maybe that's the point.Bring your camera or binoculars, slow down and...
We go here all the time.The beauty of a visit here is that no two times are ever the same.The road can be a bit rough,but maybe that's the point.Bring your camera or binoculars, slow down and... more »
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Thie wildlife refuge is not that busy and the driving road is dusty and bumpy, but the trail is well worth the trip and it must be even better when there are migrating birds.
Thie wildlife refuge is not that busy and the driving road is dusty and bumpy, but the trail is well worth the trip and it must be even better when there are migrating birds. more »
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Love this place! We used to go a lot, when we lived near there. This time we were just passing through and decided to run through it. Nice to see the bridge is done. Much better access. If you go in the summer the walking path will also be open. It’s a great short hike with a lot of opportunity to view wildlife.
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Had some time to kill before catching a flight so decided to check out the refuge. Went for a nice long walk and saw a lot of different wildlife. They were working on a new building and parking lot while I was there that looks like it will be very nice once finished. If you enjoy nature and walks I recommend this place.
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