Come on-site for an accessible way to get young people to interact with nature and wildlife. Refuge staff and volunteers can lead nature walks and help students learn more about the natural world through engaging activities and service projects.
If you are coming on your own to the refuge, but want something to engage with while you are here, you can find self-guided activities for a variety of ages, at the bottom of this page, or in the Refuge Administration Building front office. These can be used individually, with families, or groups you are bringing to the refuge.
If you are bringing a larger group, please email the Refuge at RidgefieldEducation@fws.gov so we know you will be on-site, or so you can be alerted to closures.
The Refuge is excited to offer on-site programming for school groups, beginning with smaller groups on March 18th, 2024,and larger groups on April 22nd, 2024. Education programs will go through June 14th, 2024.
Field trip dates are first-come, first-serve once the registration form opens up. This form will open up on February 1st, 2024 and then remain open throughout the season. If you have questions about what bringing your class on-site may look like, look below at the Frequently Asked Questions, or you can email the refuge directly at RidgefieldEducation@fws.gov.
Spring Field Trip Registration Form : OPENS FEBURARY 1ST, 2024
The Plankhouse is currently closed for all groups and visitors until further notice as we rebuild our interpretation program with our local tribes. We and the Refuge hope to have it open again for tours soon!
The Refuge has limited capacity for small tours and can accommodate a max of 30 people per trip. Please email them directly at RidgefieldEducation@fws.gov to can evaluate your needs, determine capacity, and hopefully schedule a time for your group to visit.
Please review this page for site and trail information.
Both Ridgefield and Steigerwald Lake have bathrooms by the parking areas, but not deeper in the refuge. Plan for your group to use the bathroom before coming or as they arrive. There are also opportunities to use the bathroom during lunch time or towards the end of your visit.
While there are not clear designated spots for lunch on either refuge, both refuges have spots where there is plenty of room on the ground to sit. This has some flexibility and can be adjusted the day of as need arises. Tarps, pop-up tents, and tables can be provided by the refuge in case of rain or individual needs.
All trash you pack in, pack back out!
If you are planning to do a walking tour at Ridgefield NWR, this is the address for the Carty Unit where the visit will begin: 28908 NW Main Ave. Ridgefield, WA 98642
If you are taking a drive around the auto tour route at Ridgefield NWR, this is the address for the River S unit: 1071 S Hillhurst Rd. Ridgefield, WA 98642
If you have a visit at Steigerwald Lake NWR, this is the address for the trailhead where the visit will begin: 34301 Lewis and Clark Hwy, Washougal, WA 98671
For the sake of staff capacity and training volunteers, the Refuge has decided to limit numbers in 2024 to ensure they can provide a quality experience for your group. Any field trips between March 18th and April 21st will have a maximum of 30 youth participants, or 1 class, on-site at once. Any field trips after April 21st will have a maximum of 70 youth participants, or 2 classes, on-site at once. If your group is larger than this, it will need to be split into multiple days.
Staff want educational groups to enjoy their time on the refuge! Students are allowed a bit of freedom to be outdoors and be excited about what they are seeing. We will talk to your group about how quietness encourages more animals to appear, but being silent is not a requirement. We are happy to meet the students where they are at. The hope is to give your group a positive experience in the outdoors, whatever that may look like on that day. The main expectation is that anything in the refuge is expected to stay there.
Ideally, refuge staff like to encourage a 1:5 adult to student ratio. There is flexiblity based on the resources that you have available for your group. If you have a surplus of chaperones that want to come along with the group, the more the merrier! You’re encouraged to bring whatever amount you feel comfortable with your group, as you know their needs more than we do.
Refuge staff and volunteers are super flexible in the activities offered on the refuge. If you are a school group, they strive to tie the visit into your curriculum however they can, so activities can be created or adjusted based on topics you want to highlight. Typically, they rotate activities created by the refuge, such as nature journaling and watercolor painting, with a nature hike. These rotations change in length based on the timing of your visit. Rotations help them manage larger groups with limited staff.
Here is a sample visit schedule:
10:45 Arrive
11:00 Welcome
11:15-12:00 Rotation 1
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:15 Rotation 2
1:15 Reload
1:30 Depart
Both sites have parking for buses and individual cars. Ridgefield has plenty of parking for individual cars in two parking lots shared with the public. Steigerwald Lake has a smaller parking lot that is also shared with the public, so carpooling is encouraged.
It is required that you visit the site beforehand. Whether that is meeting up with refuge staff on site or simply viewing it on your own time. Staff have found that if you are able to see the site beforehand, the logistics of the visit is able to happen much smoother. If they can coordinate a meet-up on site, it is also great to talk in person about what to expect and what you hope to gain from your visit. Refuge staff are all about building connections with people and would love for you to visit more than one time! If not, they understand limitations of scheduling, so you can visit on your own time and then talk on the phone with them later.
Dress for the occasion! Make sure students are wearing clothes comfortable for the outdoors, taking the weather into account (rain jackets for rainy weather, coats for colder weather, light clothes for the heat)
During the summer, make sure students bring water and sunscreen so they can properly enjoy the refuge without concern.
During the warmer months, your group should be aware of ticks and mosquitos and take proper precautions.
Tick/Mosquito Precautions: Wear long sleeves and long pants. Lightweight material will keep them cooler and lighter colors will make ticks more visible. Use an EPA-registered insect repellent.
More from the CDC on preventing tick bites . More from the CDC on mosquitoes.
Any pre-registered educational group will have their parking fee waived for all participants and vehicles. If you have questions about qualification, contact refuge staff.
There is no place to wash hands on site or to provide water to large groups. Make sure your group has hand sanitizer and drinking water. On exceptionally hot days, the refuge can provide extra drinking water, so no one gets dehydrated! There is one water bottle filling station at Ridgefield in the administrative building if need arises.
Access to main trails on the refuge is wheelchair accessible. Translation services can be provided with a two-week ahead of time notice to give us time to coordinate translators. The Refuge is happy to troubleshoot or discuss any accommodations you may need to come to the site. We want everyone to be able enjoy the refuge, so please contact refuge staff so they can help!
If any of your questions remain unanswered, please feel free to contact RidgefieldEducation@fws.gov or 360-887-4106.
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