Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge currently has four land trails: the Marsh Edge Trail,
the Woods Trail, the Key Wallace Hiking Trail, and the Tubman Road Trail, which are all
open from dawn to dusk every day.
The Marsh Edge Trail is the only trail that is paved, and it is handicap accessible.
Also please remember that no pets are allowed on any of the trails; this policy
is to protect the endangered ground-feeding Delmarva fox squirrel.
Some tips for our visitors: Anyone who comes during warm weather is advised to bring insect repellent. Also, the three unpaved trails can get
soggy in wet weather, so visitors should wear appropriate footwear if it's been raining.
Finally, during the fall hunting season, the Key Wallace and Tubman Trail may be closed for safety reasons as
they are near private land.
Read on
for details about the main features of each trail. And for further information, look
for trail brochures at the trailheads or
at the Refuge Visitor Center.
The Marsh Edge Trail can be found by turning left at the first fork on the Wildlife Drive.
This trail is the most popular at Blackwater Refuge because
it runs along the scenic Little Blackwater River and Blackwater River and also because it
is paved for the entire 1/3-mile length. The trail contains a covered picnic area, benches, and
an observation boardwalk that juts out into the river.
From the trail, visitors can see an osprey platform in the water, and during
nesting season (from March through
September) there are likely to be ospreys in or near the nest. Bald eagles can sometimes
be seen perched in the nearby trees or on islands that are visible
from the trail. And if visitors are lucky, they might see
eagles or ospreys fishing in the shallow rivers.
The 1/2-mile Woods Trail offers visitors an opportunity to see the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel.
Blackwater Refuge is home to the largest remaining natural population of this squirrel in the country.
The Woods Trail is an area that is managed to provide habitat for the endangered squirrel, which prefers a mature forest
with little undergrowth. In spring, these wet woods are alive with the calls of mating tree frogs
and toads, as well as numerous songbirds.
Visitors can access the Woods Trail from the Wildlife Drive (the first right after the observation blind).
The Key Wallace Hiking Trail and Demonstration Forest provides
visitors with a chance to observe forest management techniques, as well
as wildlife and birds. Cornelius "Key" Wallace was the fourth
manager of Blackwater Refuge; he served with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from
1942 to 1968, and he was instrumental in attracting more migratory waterfowl
to the Refuge.
Over one-third of Blackwater Refuge is forest, and the trail property includes some of the largest mature
tracts on the Delmarva Peninsula. Much of the forest management at the Refuge is
directed at increasing habitat for forest-interior dwelling birds and the
endangered Delmarva fox squirrel. Protected forests at the Refuge are a vital haven for local wildlife as more land around Blackwater
Refuge is given over to development.
The Key Wallace Hiking Trail and Demonstration Forest is at the intersection of
Key Wallace Drive and Egypt Road (see map), near the entrance to the Wildlife Drive. The Key Wallace Trail is approximately 2.7 miles long and takes about two hours
to hike. The trail is divided into two sections marked as yellow and blue. The
yellow section is 1.4 miles long and the blue section is 1.3 miles long. Note
that during hunting season, one or both sections of the trail may be closed
for safety reasons.
Read our Key Wallace Trail brochure (840KB PDF file) for more information about what
is on the trail. Visitors can also get this brochure at the trailhead or at the Visitor Center.
The Tubman Road Trail was named after a road near the trail -- this is in
the same region where Harriet
Tubman was born. Tubman became a "conductor" of the Underground Railroad,
which helped many slaves escape to freedom during the Civil War era.
The Tubman Road Trail is a 1.7-mile-long trail that uses new paths and
existing access roads as it takes visitors through mixed pine and hardwood forests,
sloughs and marshes, and reforested fields. The trail also includes an area that
is still recovering from a tornado that blew through several years ago.
The Tubman Road Trail is located
off Hip Roof Road, south of the Visitor Center (see map). The
trail takes around 1.5 hours to
complete. Yellow trail markers and arrows will help keep you on the path. Note
that during hunting season, the trail may be closed for safety reasons.
Read our Tubman Road Trail brochure (2.5MB PDF file) for
more information about what is on the trail. Visitors can also get this brochure at the trailhead or at the Visitor Center.
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