What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

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Cambridge, MD
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

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Over 32,000 acres of marsh and forest are home to wildlife such as bald eagles and waterfowl. Outdoor public areas of the refuge are open daily, dawn to dusk.
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Enjoy wildlife viewing and photography, trails, cycling, paddling, hunting, and more.

11/11/2026

This Veterans Day, we thank all veterans for serving our country and protecting our freedoms. In honor of their service, the Wildlife Drive will be free of charge today, Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
Please note that the Visitor Center is closed today.

11/10/2026

This Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, our Wildlife Drive is free for all who visit.
Every day is free for military Veterans and Gold Star families, however. Gold Star Families and Veterans are entitled to a free Military Lifetime Pass, and Active Duty military and their dependents qualify for a free Military Annual Pass. Both are good for over 2,000 federal recreation sites spread over 400 million acres of public lands, including national wildlife refuges. Stop by the Visitor Center to learn more, or visit https://www.recreation.gov/pass/

Photo credit: Ron Ketter

11/08/2026

Join us on Tuesday, November 10, for another weekday guided birding tour, with refuge volunteer and expert birder Jim Green. What will be discovered this week? Our guided birding tours meet at 8:00 am at the Visitor Center. For a complete listing of our fall guided birding tours, visit www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater.

Photo credit: Lesser yellowlegs by Ron Ketter

11/03/2026

Fall is here! What a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of the season!

Photo credit: USFWS

10/31/2026

This month several bats were tagged on the refuge by Bat Conservation and Management with the hope of identifying roost locations this fall and winter. By tracking bat movements, refuge staff, together with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, hope to learn more about the habitat and conservation needs of bat species at the refuge.

Learn more about bats, and how you can help them!

Few of nature’s animals are as misunderstood as bats. We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service want to set the record straight and help others understand the importance of bats. Though often feared and loathed as sinister creatures of the night, bats are vital to the health of our environment and ...

10/30/2026

Join us this Sunday morning, Nov. 1st, for another guided birding tour of Wildlife Drive. Birds are on the move - come find out what species are visiting the refuge this week.

Don't forget to turn your clocks back, as Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday! Our guided birding tours meet at 8:00 am at the Visitor Center. For a complete listing of our fall guided birding tours, visit www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater.

Photo credit: Ron Ketter

10/27/2026

Just a reminder that the Wildlife Drive will be free of charge today, Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in recognition of Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday.

Theodore Roosevelt started what became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System. Between 1903 and 1909, he created 51 Bird Reservations and 4 National Game Preserves.

Photo credit: President Teddy Roosevelt at Breton Island in 1915, Harvard College Library - Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/president-teddy-roosevelt-breton-island-1915

10/26/2026

Using fire to help wildlife.

This fall, winter, and spring, several prescribed fires are planned to be implemented across Blackwater and Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuges in Dorchester, Kent, and Wicomico counties, given favorable weather conditions. Prescribed fires are used as a management tool to improve wildlife habitats and reduce hazardous fuels. US Wildland Fire Service staff will be working with refuge staff and local partners, including the Maryland Forest Service, to implement these burns. Please reach out to Jim Helstowski, Prescribed Fire Specialist, at 443-972-3124, with any questions.

Photo credit: Eric Kronner/USFWS

10/25/2026

In recognition of Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday, the Wildlife Drive will be free of charge on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

Theodore Roosevelt started what became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System. Between 1903 and 1909, he created 51 Bird Reservations and 4 National Game Preserves.

Photo credit: President Teddy Roosevelt at Breton Island in 1915, Harvard College Library - Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/president-teddy-roosevelt-breton-island-1915

10/24/2026

Plant and animal adaptations were the theme of the day when Dorchester County 4th grade students visited the refuge for a day of exploration and education! A big shout out to the refuge volunteers that made it possible to reach these 272 students over the course of three weeks. Thanks also to the Friends of Blackwater NWR for supporting educational programs on the refuge and covering the cost of transportation for all 4th grade schools!

Photos by Rita Mhley and Robert Sullivan

Address

2145 Key Wallace Drive
Cambridge, MD
21613

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

(410) 228-2677

Website

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Blackwater/

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