This is the Grand daddy of them ALL! The original "OG" of the National Wildlife Refuge. This is where Teddy Roosevelt established this now over 500 NWRs. It's considered a research center but is an NWR in the passport book. There are educational classes for children and adults. A gift shop, clean restrooms, an EV charging station and a float of art work of photography and drawings. Our Two Entrances: South Tract,also known as the Dan Ashe Division, hosts 5 miles of walking trails and two scenic lakes. It is also the site of The Visitor Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - closed on federal holidays.  The grounds are open sunrise to sunset every day.  Fishing and hunting is available seasonally.  North Tract offers 25 miles of trail for walking, biking, and horseback riding. With less visitation than South Tract, North Tract offers a quiet atmosphere for those seeking solitude. The grounds and Visitor Information Station are open from Thursdays through Sundays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.  In addition, extended hours will be offered on the third Thursday of every month. Third Thursday hours will be the following: April 18 - 8:00 am to sunset.  May 16, June 20, and July 18 - 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. August 15 and September 19 - 8:00 am to sunset. The grounds and Visitor Information Station and are closed for federal holidays and occasionally for scheduled hunts. read more

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Very cool visitor center with beautiful displays about different species to include Gray Wolves. Whooping Cranes etc. There is also a viewing area of lakes from the visitor center near the displays with clear viewing of wildlife. Very friendly staff with a gift shop, nice restrooms and information on area. The refuge has hiking trails which provide different opportunities to see wildlife from waterfowl to birds. Definitely will be back !!! read more

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A beautiful place to hike. Peaceful. Take your walking stick and get out there. If you go before 4:00 you can visit the Nature Center. Don't miss this local treasure. read more

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I never knew this area was accessible to the public. Since it has research in the name, I believed it to be a restricted facility. After playing around with google maps, I discovered there were hiking trails all across the refuge. The odds are always in my favor when I decide to hit the trails because it was a favorable 60 degree with the sun out in the midst of winter and that was the enjoyable part. My initial goal was to take on the Forest trail, which is about 2.5 miles, that is located in the North tract of the refuge. When we arrived, the trail was closed. Other trails nearby were also closed. There were several people walking along paved roads so we decided to go with the flow. I thought there were more trails to explore but every time we tried to pursue it, it was closed! I discovered that the park was also a hunting ground so most of the roads and shortcuts were closed off and inaccessible which was a total bummer. One trail we did manage to trek through was Merganser pond trail, about 1 mile. It is not too far from the the mini parking lot and visitor center. I liked that it was open to walk through but our shoes were a complete mess by the end of it. It's a very easy trail to complete. It looks like the place to go during the spring and summer with a variety of plants and flowers to see. I will go again to check it out and finish what I set to do, dominant those trails. I also want to check out the South tract. From other reviews, I might have more luck there. read more

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Found this wonderful refuge to enjoy a fall day. Patuxent Research Refuge is a great place to go exploring. The trails are labled with all the interesting species of plants and animals. I never knew there were bob cats in the area. read more

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Many, many moons ago I'd visited the refuge with a hiking group, which was more interested in moving than enjoying the surroundings. During the pandemic I am exploring parks and other places for much needed forest bathing and exercise, and realized I needed to revisit the refuge. I am so glad I did because it's a lovely place! Given that the place only had one Yelp review, it is clearly an underappreciated spot. I arrived around 9am on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, and there were no more than a dozen cars in the parking lot. One drawback to the place: getting one's bearings is a bit challenging. The maps online were a bit confusing, and trailheads aren't marked. Fortunately the trail around the larger lake was relatively clear once I found it. The trail was muddy in spots, so I was grateful I had hiking boots. The views of the lake were great, and the woods were peacefu and I could hear many birds singing. As far as forest bathing goes, the refuge was perfect. I'm also interested in exploring the North Tract, so that is going on my list of places to investigate. If there's one thing we have in abundance here in the DMV (other than lawyers), it's green space--and remembering that makes me grateful to live here. read more

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This place looks very old yet there's so much to see! I think it's really good for children. They could learn everything there is too know about wildlife! There are some parts in the building that are being renovated. The stuffed animals on display are very cool to look at and there's also one area where you could touch the different fur of different animals. There's plenty to see and read about the forest animals. There's no admission fee. There was a donation box near the gift shop, though. If you're in the area and could spare some time, then you should check it out! I had to go, because there weren't any nearby restrooms except this place! read more

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I've been here many times. I've biked both directions, hiked the loop, watched from several wildlife overlooks and done a couple of side trails. Traffic is slow and light. I've seen fisherman but haven't tried it here. There's a sign in at the entrance and they close the gate for the night. The shooting range is annoyingly difficult to access by design. I think they'd close it if they could. read more