Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge — Attraction in Lewes

Visited on Labor Day weekend Sunday around noon. There weren't too many other cars in the parking lot. The visitor center is pretty small, but they have a good selection of items in the gift shop. The bathrooms are also located inside the visitor center. This is also where you can get your blue goose passport cancelation stamp. They actually sell the blue goose book here. This is only the 3rd NFWS gift shop we've ever encountered that sells it. We've been to almost 2 dozen.

The parking spots around the back are much better as a few are shaded by large trees. This is also where the picnic tables are. There is also a dock to launch boats or kayaks at no cost. The lady working in the visitor center said another of people get stuck in there and that the boat launch further up the road on the way in is much better.

We hiked the boardwalk trail loop, and it was very nice. It was a pretty warm day, and I'd recommend coming earlier or maybe later in the day.

If we were to come back, we'd bring our kayaks and probably fishing gear. We'd like to explore...

This is a hard call. For the grandeur of the wetland habitat it gets four stars. For making it visible and accessible to the the public, it gets only two stars. The park needs more creative ways to let people see it and use it. It needs more vistas; clear some brush so we can have some views of the open water areas. It needs more elevated platform sites and more out on the water sites. For staffing I never saw in my three or four visits over the past decade, more than one park person on duty and that was in the gift shop. No Ranger, very little signage or interpretive effort. Paths are ill maintained, overgrown and encroached with weeds so that a visitor best go in summer ready for ticks and several kinds of biting insects. Go fully clothed and sprayed with repellent. It might do for the athletic nature lover who knows what to expect and comes equipped to deal with it. I would not recommend it for a family or casual pleasure outing and not worth driving a...

I will return to hike the trails and to visit Fowler Beach. Mom and I visited the well equipped Ranger Station and got maps and info. This NWR was unknown to me and obviously a well-kept secret gem! We spent a lot of time driving the winding roads and on Route 1 that is the only way to reach the winding beach access roads. Protecting the acres of protected bay dunes and marshlands is obviously an important priority. So expect to park and walk to area close to waterways! The dunes are unharmed and I saw a snowy egret and some turtles and visitors crabbing off a bridge over a stream. I watch, study and maybe photograph Nature and wildlife! Though, this refuge is a resource for permitted hunters of waterfowl in season. I saw info and tags near the eastern entrance. I also noticed a trail head for The National Trail System Florida to Canada. Pack lunch this refuge is purely natural. No...