Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Great place to go birdwatching, take pictures, and see lots of wildlife. Recently completed Visitors Center is outstanding and handicapped accessible. Fantastic staff. The main attraction is the 12-mile wildlife drive that really passes you by three main areas. You can drive it, walk it or bike it. Depending on the time of year, the flies and bugs can be unbearable, but if there is a wind, this helps and wearing long sleeves and pants is highly recommended. There are also multiple trails that you can hike varying in length and terrain. Parsons Point Trail and the Boardwalk trails are my favorite. All trails are flat terrain, and two are handicapped accessible. There are also two 30-foot towers - one at Shearness Trail and one at Raymond Trail to view the various habitats. The three main areas are the Raymond Pool, the Shearness Pool and the Bear Swamp Pool. Various habitats include tidal salt marsh, forest and man-made pools. I always recommend that you check the website to see when the refuge is open (occasionally closes for hunting, etc.) and when the Visitor Center is open. A great place to visit. The I use this for incredible bird watching. Below are some of the various species I have seen at the refuge.

An absolutely amazing first experience here. We got to come just after it snowed and saw evidence of ducks, birds, rabbits, and foxes. It was also an incredible bird watching day - four bald eagles, a northern harrier, blue herons, many species of ducks, and even some sandhill cranes, which I never thought I'd get to see in my lifetime. Love that you can drive around and still be so close to nature if the weather is too cold.

Absolutely beautiful place to see wildlife. We went mid-day so we didn't see as much as we could have, but what we did see was wonderful. Roads are well maintained. Paths are easy to navigate and the site towers are great to view. We did have a strange phenomenon happen. While viewing from a tower we saw a huge boat? plane? behind a car but when we drove there, there was no evidence of it. Would love to know how that happened. Please see first picture posted.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is hands down the best place for bird watching! I love that you can drive through at your own pace, making it a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The flies can be a huge nuisance and initially ruined the experience for me as I was scared they would get in my car. They did, but they left just as quickly. I drove the auto trail twice; the first time, I kept the windows up, which made taking photos difficult. The second time, I kept my driver’s side window open, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Overall, it’s an incredible spot for bird enthusiasts, and I highly recommend it!

Beautiful refuge with tons of wildlife, even in the winter. On one day in January, I saw owls, eagles, sandhill cranes, foxes, and a lot more!

Amazing array of wildlife in a very manageable size of a car loop. Not very crowded on an early spring day. Lots of Great Egrets and Blue Herons and several bald eagles also! Wonderful spot to visit!

Never disappointed when I go here for birds, no matter what season! What a great variety!

The wildlife was awesome. Saw sturgeon,red bellied woodpeckers, an otter (i think?!) A few snakes and hummingbirds and tons of little crabs. There were also more deer flies than ppl in deleware, which made it a little tough to enjoy the moment. Next time, I'll bring stronger bug spray!