Lesser known wild life refuge that's worth a visit. It's marsh land and there's an old cemetery there. I saw an egret or two and a small rabbit. Worth your while if in the area. read more

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Nice little visitor center with friendly staff, plenty of parking. Got a great deal on an illustrated bird book that was on sale in the gift shop. Nice trails and boardwalk, we did a trail along the canal early evening which provided beautiful lighting for the numerous birds we saw. On the way out we heard some owls and were lucky enough to see them flying through the trees. We will definitely be back. read more

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Delaware is now officially completed with stamp #89 In the book. This location did not have an auto tour and the weather has not been the best for exploring so we did not get out and about on the trails here. Stayed inside and looked at the information of the refuge. Luckily we did manage to meet up with Josh. He helped us with the Bombay Hook stamp when the office was closed and happened to be here when we stopped in. He was a BIG help with stamps and information while we explored Delaware so happy our paths crossed. I also enjoyed his suggestions especially tips for passport stamps in Texas. We could have stayed all day chatting away. Going to have to make a special trip back to this one when the weather is better. read more

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge - #89 blue Goose stamp - Parks Near Me - Milton, Delaware

I got invited out here by a friend to watch the horseshoe crab spawning. Each year, horseshoe crabs come ashore by the thousands to spawn on the sandy beaches of the bays around Prime Hook around the full moon and new moons in May and June (for more information see: http://www.npr.org/2015/06/10/411563803/its-spawning-season-are-horseshoe-crabs-down-for-the-count). Researchers from all over the world travel to Delaware to observe this annual phenomenon. Meanwhile, I talked myself into going here. Horseshoe crabs are not necessarily my favorite sea creatures based on looks. They are actually not crabs but more closely related to spiders and scorpions, and they are 350 million years old. When they are shell side up, they are ok, they just shuttle along the bottom of the water like little roomba vacuums of the sea. Flip one over, and then you start getting into Alien vs. Predator looking sh%^ right here. Claws everywhere and a big gaping mouth surrounded by more claws. Let's just say this, horseshoe crabs swim shell side down using their claws as propellers, and if I would actually see this, I would run out of the water, keep in mind, I don't even leave the water when I see sharks. That's how much I live in fear of these harmless creatures, and it was time to face my fears. So basically, this is how I pictured my trip out here to end: http://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/2/53//alien-3-main.jpg In the end, it wasn't that bad. Prime Hook is a beautiful area. We decided to spend a few hours hiking before the sun would set and the beach would turn into a crab version of Seacrets. I am not a 100% sure I would recommend Prime Hook as a go to hiking destination. If you're in the area, sure stop by and take a walk but it's hard to spend a day here hiking. It's more for birdwatching/fishing/photography etc. Many of the trails and loops are short and most of the trails are through long grass. I did catch some amazing scenery cause you walk through swamp lands, marches, forests and fields and see tons of frogs and birds and it's almost surreal. The problem is the hiking through the tall grass during summer is that turns into a million tick march. Several members of our party had ticks on them frequently even those with long pants that used bug spray, I had stupidly forgotten my spray with deet so I grabbed some extra treated dog collars and tied it to my ankle. It worked though, I was the only one without ticks. I'll probably have some three eyed babies as a result, but hey I got no ticks to hold me down. Now onto the beach area, we headed to Slaughter Beach on Prime Hook to catch the sex on the beach. Not much to report there, except basically there are hundreds of them and they mate in groups. A bunch of male crabs jump on the women crabs and she drags them to the beach to lay eggs. I was fine since they were shell side up, but then we stumbled upon a group on their backs. Given that we were there during a lightning and thunder storm and now there were about 5 crabs attached on their backs in the dark, I may have stressed. Basically my friend told me I screamed "Bye Felicia" and ran back with the only flashlight to the car. So yeah, I got this fear of horseshoe crab thing kicked. Can't wait to come back next year. read more

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This is an excellent location to chill with nature solo or with family and friends. Lots of great photo opportunities. There are plenty of trails to explore, we saw deer and a family enjoying a kayaking adventure. Restrooms are open and clean. Definite must see if you are in the area. read more

Great place to get away from it all and spend some time in nature. Very quiet During the off-season and there were no planes flying overhead which was very nice. There are number of trails and one area you can walk way out on the trail in the middle of the water which is really neat and you can see lots of birds like great herons and egrets. I saw some signs for deer hunting but when I was there no one was hunting. There is a small gift shop in the visitor center but it was closed during our visit. read more

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge - Great spot - Parks Near Me - Milton, Delaware

No superlatives could match what you feel like here. Previous reviewers nailed it. All you see, hear and feel is NATURE. read more

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This is a beautiful, quiet spot. However, do NOT kayak here - My husband and I went to take what was described as a three mile paddle through a gently moving channel. It was lovely for about the first two miles. We followed all the signs and did not do anything foolhardy or dangerous. But, we ended up stuck in mud flats where the water was too shallow for the kayaks to get by. It got to the point where we were stuck fast - we could not go forward nor back. We could not step out of the kayaks, or we would sink in the mud. The mud seemed like what I imagine quicksand would be. I sunk up to my thigh before I was able to struggle back into my kayak, all the while fighting against being pulled back down. It was like that all around the kayaks, with no solid ground and no way to get out. We had been in the preserve for about an hour at that point, maybe a little more - it took us over four hours to get ourselves unstuck and moving on water again. It was brutal - trying to push the mud with our paddles, or using driftwood to prevent ourselves from sinking as we pushed forward. At one point, we considered calling 911, but I'm not even sure how someone could've gotten to us. We finally made it to the lookout platform, where we were able to beach the kayaks and get onto solid ground. It's worth noting that the channel past the lookout, where you are supposed to continue to the take out point, was also too shallow to navigate. We had to carry our kayaks down the walking path, covered in mud from head to toe, and shaking with exhaustion. Luckily we had brought a water bottle and granola bars so we were not totally dehydrated, but it was very scary. Again, we followed all the signs and there was NO WARNING THAT THE WATER WOULD SUDDENLY BOTTOM OUT INTO MUD/QUICKSAND. DO NOT KAYAK HERE - HIGHLY DANGEROUS!! I'm sure walking there is nice - it's quiet and peaceful, but DO NOT GO ONTO THE WATER!! read more

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge is a nice little sanctuary in Delaware with some varied terrain including fresh and saltwater marshes, forests, fields, creek beds, and Delaware Bay shoreline. The lands here serve as a habitat for tons of waterfowl, shore birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and even bald eagles. Even I saw numerous birds, a rabbit, and a turtle during a relatively brief stint here! The refuge offers opportunities for hiking, bird watching, kayaking, fishing, and hunting. During my visit, I opted to hike a couple trails (the Dike Trail and the Boardwalk Trail). Both were short but offered trekking through varied habitats, as well as numerous picture taking opportunities. The boardwalk trail was especially enjoyable as there always seems to be something special about walking on a boardwalk through the woods. The Dike Trail offered sweeping views of the marshland, including from an excellent vantage point via an observation platform at the end of the trail. Both trails were very easy in terms of intensity, and that appears to be the theme of all the trails in the park. Prime Hook is definitely worth checking out should you be in the area! Just be sure to grab a trail map from the park office, and it may also serve you well to bring some mosquito repellant along for the adventure... read more

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The place gave me the creeps. It's too isolated and one random man started talking to us and I felt extremely uncomfortable around him. Don't trust random people in the woods. read more

Very quite - amazingly beautiful. I don't think we saw any other people at this refuge while we were there! Have your camera ready -- you will come across beautiful sights, animals and hidden gems! read more

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Very nice and quiet place to take a hike and look for some birds. There are a few well maintained trails by the visitor center. You'll see some large ponds that will offer photo opportunities. read more

The beach is very nice but we came during horseshoe crab mating season and it was very interesting