Fish and Wildlife Refuge [Laurel MD] Unfortunately, because of the Federal Holiday (MLK) at the time of our visit the Visitor Center was closed but we briefly connected with nature and just explored a little bit of the area which offered 13,000 of wetlands, meadow, and forest. Visitor Center hours are from Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00a to 4:00p. The grounds are open sunrise to sunset except on Tuesdays (closes at 4:00p). We followed the hiking trail on the South Tract. We followed the trail... the lake on the right side. I was too scared to walk on the frozen lake but we saw a couple walking on it while taking selfie photos. The scenery is beautiful in winter time with the snow. We don't see snow like this in California. There were interpretive signs on the trails. During winter season we should see a wide variety of waterfowl; American Tree, Swamp, and Savannah Sparrows; and Rusty Blackbirds on the lake shores... we were on the lookout but I guess we weren't looking hard enough as we did not spot any. So what is this place? It's not a National Park but is one of the largest science and environmental education center in the Department of Interior created to conserve and protect wildlife and wildlands through research. Review #3673 read more

See all

We ended up checking out the National Wildlife Visitor Center while staying with family in Crofton. It lead to a lovely afternoon. The center itself is like a little museum. It has informational exhibits that range from learning about different wildlife to man's relationship with nature. The trails themselves are really nice, and diverse. You'll have an opportunity to walk through the woods, the water, and open fields. They're well manicured and labeled, so there's no getting lost. You'll also have an opportunity to see some beautiful wildlife. There were lots of beautiful birds flying around, and if you look down, you're guaranteed to see some tiny frogs. There's probably more, but that's all we saw. I definitely think this park is worth checking out if you live in the area, or are visiting. It was a lovely afternoon. read more

If you're looking for a less crowded experience to take your kids for a morning or afternoon, this is it. An easy stop on the way to or from Baltimore. Clean bathrooms and small museum with interactive stuff for kids. Friendly docents. If it's not too hot or cold, it's beautiful and easy for the kids to experience nature. I recommend to anyone that is looking for a break from the Smithsonian madness. read more

For this being the national wildlife visitor center, I really wasn't impressed. The center itself is a decent-sized building. The exhibitions did indeed give an overview of wildlife throughout the nation. Fun interactive displays for kids, not a ton of depth. They had a conference center attached, which I imagine is a very nice venue. However, the grounds didn't do much for me. They're centered around two lakes, and there are no natural lakes in Maryland. In parts, there were concrete edges, and even a spout of water in the middle of one of them. Not very natural. The trails around the lakes weren't great; there was a floating boardwalk that was closed due to being "unsafe" and a bird blind with a nasty-looking wasp nest inside. The bugs were unpleasant, but I didn't see much in the way of larger wildlife. The views from the trails I tried weren't special. Offshoots of the trail were closed for research purposes (fine), but there were also areas for hunting and fishing. Really? Is that the message we want to be sending at the national wildlife visitor center? That killing the wildlife for recreational purposes is a good idea? I know that many parks allow these things, but they shouldn't, and it's particularly inappropriate at this one, which is a wildlife sanctuary, research area, and educational venue. Find some other way to deal with overpopulated deer. There might be some positives here, and I suspect the tram ride that I didn't do is nice, and it's a free educational place to take groups of children (though I would steer kids clear of any kind of hunting activity). But as a venue for wildlife observation and hiking, it isn't really worthwhile to drive this far. If you're in DC, Rock Creek Park is better in all respects. If you're elsewhere in the area, there are some much nicer places that are on the Bay and its tributaries, not on a fake lake. read more

I decided to check this place out with my wife and I am very happy that we did. When we arrived we parked and checked out the indoor visitor center. This was so cool and unexpected. It spoke about the impacts that people have on nature, and I was able to learn a whole bunch from walking around the center. The walk was very nice and took us about an hour to complete. There were a couple of benches spread throughout the hike to sit down and chill out. We saw some cool birds on our walk. Altogether this experience was more then I expected and great way to spend a day. read more

There's a nice little visitor center at Patuxent wildlife park. With displays of local waterfowl and habitat. They also have a nice auditorium frequently showing movies. My favorite part of the national wildlife visitor center are all the trails that allow you to walk in nature and not even hear traffic. To be in such a dense suburban area and have pleasant forested trails is excellent. read more

See all

Great to see if you live close by. Have a small museum with stuffed wolf and local wildlife. Great trolley tour to see deer, turtles,various birds and beavers in their natural habitat. Your lucky if you see the in house ducks, birds like Egret and white heron even a stork ! Talk about the white crane flying above us while in the tram . read more

See all

There are a lot of interesting parks and nature centers in the DC/Baltimore area, but this place is one of the nicer ones. Located in between Bowie and Laurel, in the middle of nature preserves and agricultural land, it's nice to get off the beaten path and away from the urban/suburban life for a bit. The nature center itself is decent, with a lot of information about the impact of humanity on the natural world. As you continue in you see exhibits talking about several habitats, including the local concerns. Eventually you open up into a room with a series of in-depth displays on specific types of wildlife, from wolves to otters to birds. There's a viewing area to look across the refuge and an area that is occasionally used for kids to talk to naturalists and rangers. The only main complaint about the nature center is that sometimes its displays fall to the wayside. You'll find where kids have broken dials or buttons or a piece was removed from repair, leaving an ugly hole. All-in-all, however, the place is well kept. Outside the nature center are a bunch of peaceful trails that move all around the lake as well as the woods itself. I often enjoy taking a moment to just walk for 20-30 minutes and breath in some natural air. There's also a Tram ride that takes you further into the refuge and shows you what the NPS does. It's a nice ride with some interesting fact and rather cheap: $3.00/adult, $1.00/child. So, if you're a local that just wants to get away on a beautiful day or a tourist looking for something interesting to see... I definitely recommend this visitor center. It's always nice to get back to nature, if only for a little while. read more

One of the many things I love about the DC area is plentiful opportunities to enjoy nature. Recently I had the good fortune of visiting the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Patuxent Research Refuge. The Visitors Center has a big parking lot, restrooms and lots of exhibits that I did not even get to investigate. However, according to their website, it is "the largest science and environmental education center in the Department of the Interior." I was here for a hike -- we hiked a total of about 2 miles through the woods and past a small lake and a couple of ponds ; the area was very peaceful. We did not see any wildlife, but we were a larger group and had several dogs, as well, which isn't exactly conducive to wildlife viewing. Only after checking out their website did I find out about the tram: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/patuxent/tram.html. For only 3 bucks per adult, you can "enjoy a half-hour guided tour through forest, meadows, and wetlands around the National Wildlife Visitor Center. The tram is a 40 passenger, all-electric, open-air vehicle which provides a unique type of access to the wildlife and their habitats at the Patuxent Research Refuge." How cool is that? read more

Driving back towards New York from Washington, DC, we saw a sign for the National Wildlife Visitor Center. Being a beautiful and not very cold winter day, with clear skies, I asked my girlfriend if we had the time to stop by and check it out. The place was near empty when we got there, after a quick drive on a nicely paved road through the woods, we came to the center. When we walked in, we were greeted by two people, very very friendly who welcomed us to the center and gave us a quick overview of the place. There were hiking trails (which we did not have time to do), as well as some exhibits within the center showing the wildlife in the area and up along the east coast. All in all, a very enjoyable experience. Next time when the weather is much warmer, I expect we'll take another trip down to DC and stop by here and try out the trails! read more

It's worthwhile to clarify that the National Wildlife Visitor Center is part of the Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR), and this review highlights the experience as a whole, not just the visitor center. The real gems of the PRR are the trails, today we chose to trek around the South Tract, in total of about 3 miles of gentle terrain with little elevation but on the Easter holiday it was very peaceful. The PRR was highlighted in the book 50 Hikes in Maryland, and we chose it to break in some new hiking boots and take an easy, leisurely hike. There is no fee to enjoy the PRR, although donations can be made in the visitors center which seems to be staffed by knowledgable and friendly volunteers. This place would be great for kids, and leashed dogs can be taken to many of the areas as well. Honestly, this is a great quiet getaway from the city, only a 25 minute drive on 295S out of Baltimore. We plan to visit again when Spring is in bloom! read more

Ok... It is the Patuxent and I kayak.... guess what I cant put my kayak in because I have to have a fishing rod. Something about the disturbing the wildlife. I can fish in the yak, take fish and I can bring my dog, something about disturbing the wildlife. You would think a dog and fishing (taking fish out of the environment) would be more disturbing than softly paddling through the water. Really??? We walked a trail and checked out the exhibits and did enjoy the afternoon despite the fact that a kayak would disturb the environment more that fishing and a dog. read more

The toddler and i ventured here for a fall festival/open house at the visitor center. I had no idea this place even existed. They have a display area with information on the local animals, hiking trails and tons of educational displays. For the event, they had live ducks, turtles, and owls for the kids to see. There was face painting, crafts, and tons of activities/tours. We had a great time walking around seeing everything at our leisure, coloring a picture of a turtle, seeing the live animals and much much more. Once the weather gets warmer, we will come back to see some of the outdoor activities the Center has to offer. read more

Came here on a whim. It's awesome to know I live close to a wildlife refuge. Driving up the mile up to the visitors center reminds me of the Potomac garrett state forest. The visitors center has a lot of non working exhibits and needs to be updated. There is cash lake which provides some fishing but you must show your fishing license (non-tidal) to get a permit that will allow you to fish for the season. The volunteers are friendly. Get to see some endangered and threatened species during your walk around and a few walking/hiking trails. A good place to take the family. read more

The tram is worth $3. It's a lot of info about trees more than seeing wildlife but you pay for what you get. Its worth doing 1 time.