Visit the Refuge

Refuge Update

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Ridgefield NWR has over 5,000 acres of marshes, grasslands, and woodlands. Preservation of the natural Columbia River floodplain is the management objective of the Carty (2-mile self-guided hiking trail) Roth and Ridgeport Dairy units. The River ‘S’ (4.2 mile auto tour route and 1.2 mile seasonal hiking trail) and Bachelor Island units are managed to maximize habitat for waterfowl and other wetland wildlife.

The Carty Unit and River ‘S’ Unit are available for the public to visit. The Carty Unit (28908 NW Main Ave.) hosts the main Refuge office, the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, the Oaks-to-Wetlands Trail, and the seasonal Carty Lake Trail. The River ‘S’ Unit (1071 S Hillhurst Rd.) offers the Auto Tour Route and the seasonal Kiwa Trail, as well as access to the hunt zones.

The Refuge was established (along with 3 other refuges in the Willamette Valley of Oregon) in 1965, in response to a need to establish vital habitat for wintering waterfowl with an emphasis on the Dusky Canada Goose whose nesting areas in Alaska were severely impacted by the violent earthquake of 1964.

Stately Sandhill Cranes, shorebirds, and a great variety of songbirds stop at the Refuge during spring and fall migrations. Some bird species such as Mallards, Great Blue Herons, and Red-Tailed Hawks are year-round residents that nest on the Refuge. Black-tailed deer, and the threatened White-tailed deer are the largest mammals on the refuge. Coyote, raccoon, skunk, beaver, river otter, and brush rabbits can also be seen on the Refuge.

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex

The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. There are more than 540 refuges nationwide totaling over 94 million acres of land managed specifically for the conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats. Refuges serve to protect America’s natural and cultural heritage for all people and for future generations.

The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex is headquartered in Ridgefield, Washington, and oversees the management of four refuges in the southwestern part of the state including: Ridgefield NWR and three refuges in the Columbia River Gorge – Franz Lake, Pierce, and Steigerwald Lake NWR. Visit the US Fish and Wildlife Service website at to learn more about these five refuges including recreational and volunteer opportunities and environmental education programs.

Entrance Fees & Passes

An important feature of Ridgefield’s recreation and entrance fee program allows 80% of the funds collected to remain at the Refuge to be used for recreation related expenses including brochures, signs, facilities enhancement, trail/road maintenance, restoration associated with wildlife-dependent recreation, and public safety.

Periodically, the refuge may be closed for scheduled maintenance or construction projects, or because weather conditions have caused refuge trails or the auto tour route to be unsafe for visitors.

Day Use Fee
There is a daily fee of $3.00 per passenger vehicle or motorcycle to enter the Carty and River “S” units. Please note that seasonal hiking restrictions apply on the River “S” unit beyond the entrance to the Refuge.

Refuge Passes
A Ridgefield NWR specific pass, valid for one year from the date of issue, may be purchased for $15.00 at the Refuge office at 28908 NW Main Ave in Ridgefield. You can also purchase a variety of other passes that grant you access to federal lands at the Refuge office. For a complete listing of federal passes available, visit the Ridgefield NWR website.

Please make sure to fill out the GREEN Refuge Receipt card every time you visit the Refuge, both so you can be in compliance, but also so we can keep an accurate count of visitation.

Seasonal Closures

The Kiwa trail on the River S’ Unit and Carty Trail accessed from the Port of Ridgefield to the Carty Unit are both closed October through April to limit disturbance to wintering waterfowl in those wetlands.  These trails reopen May 1st.

The Auto Tour Route is accessible by vehicle only October through April to reduce disturbance to wintering waterfowl that is caused by visible human presence. Please stay in your car except at the information booth and restrooms during this time.  This restriction is lifted May through September.

Please respect these closures as they allow both people and wildlife to use and enjoy the same areas while keeping to the conservation mission of the Refuge.

The Viewing Blind on the River S’ Unit (accessed near the restrooms about halfway through the loop) is open year-round.

The Carty Unit Oaks-to-Wetlands Trail (starting where the nature pave ends) will be closed Thursdays, April 1st -October 1st, for trail maintenance and habitat restoration work. In the case of extreme weather, the trail will most likely be open (though then you visit at your own risk)- if work is happening, there will be cones and signs indicating the closed part of the trail.

River ‘S’ Unit

Physical Address: 1071 S Hilhurst Rd, Ridgefield WA 98642

River ‘S’ Unit Bridge Project

Complete! Now that the new bridge is in place and the big equipment is gone, we can safely enter the Ridgefield Refuge’s River ‘S’ Unit on a two-lane bridge that takes you up and over the railroad tracks. Remember to pay your entrance fee or enter your pass number at the contact station, and follow all Refuge rules, including staying in your vehicle until May 1st, and moving over so others can pass. Find out more about visiting the Refuge, here.

Keep an eye out for a few more small closures as we clean up after this project and get things tidy once again. The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is open during daylight hours, check the Refuge website for current hours.

For complete information about this and other Refuge improvement projects, call the Refuge office, M-F 360-887-4106.

Auto Tour Driving Route 
The auto tour route is a one-way 4.2-mile loop gravel road (the first mile of the road is two-way). It is open daily to vehicles during daylight hours. In addition to vehicles, the auto tour route is open to foot traffic between May 1 and September 30.

At times the auto tour route can be busy. Please be a courteous driver and use the turnouts provided to allow traffic to flow. Always observe the posted speed limit and all refuge signs. The roadway is maintained to meet the standards for regular passenger vehicles and for school buses and RV’s. If you are unsure about current road conditions and have a large or oversized vehicle, please contact the Refuge for more information. Bicycles, off-road vehicles, and ATV driving are not permitted on the Refuge.

The Kiwa Trail (Opens May 1st)
The Kiwa Trail is a 1.2-mile loop trail open May 1 through September 30. It is the only walking trail available on this unit. The path is compacted gravel and accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. The trail passes through an understory of Oregon ash trees and between open wetland areas. Between May 1 and September 30, visitors may also walk the auto tour route.

Waterfowl Hunting 
An area for waterfowl hunting (ducks, geese, and coots) has been designated on this unit and is open by permit only during the regular state waterfowl hunt season.  The Refuge is not open to deer or any other type of hunting.
Waterfowl Hunt Program page on the US Fish and Wildlife website.

Fishing
On the River ‘S’ Unit, fishing is allowed only in Lake River and not in any of the refuge ponds, ditches, or sloughs. Visitors wishing to fish on this unit must park in the entrance fee parking lot near the restroom area and walk down the side of the levy to reach the banks of Lake River. There are no fishing piers or launch facilities for motorized or non-motorized boats located on this unit of the Refuge. Frogging is not allowed anywhere on the refuge.

Wildlife Viewing
An observation blind overlooking Rest Lake is located close to the half-way point on the auto tour route just before arriving at the Kiwa Trail parking lot. This shelter is covered by a stand of Oregon ash trees and has cut-out windows where spotting scopes and cameras can be set up for close up views of wildlife.

Visitor Facilities
Stop by the visitor contact station at the entrance and pick up a brochure, map, or wildlife checklist. Volunteers staff the station both during the week and on the weekends. If they are not there, pick up information from the dispenser boxes outside.

There are two vault restrooms located at the entrance of the unit at the visitor contact station. An additional vault restroom is located at the observation blind. There are no picnic areas or drinking fountains available on the refuge.

Carty Unit

Physical Address: 28908 NW Main Avenue, Ridgefield WA 98642

Or, park and pay at the Port of Ridgefield: 111 W Division St., Ridgefield, WA 98642  (Seasonally- May 1st through Sept. 30th)

This entrance leads you down the Carty Lake Trail towards the Plankhouse and Oaks to Wetlands Trail, seasonally. Find out more below.

Oak Woodland Restoration
Beginning March 18, 2019, the Carty Unit at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge will undergo a process known as an “oak release.” This involves removing faster-growing conifer trees, mainly Douglas fir, in order to create more ideal growing conditions for Oregon white oak trees.  For complete information about this and other Refuge improvement projects, call the Refuge office, M-F 360-887-4106

Walking Trails 
The Carty Unit is open daily to foot traffic only during daylight hours. Here you can hike a 2-mile loop on the Oaks to Wetlands Trail. Although maintained, this trail is undeveloped. Many parts of the trail are uneven, rocky, steep, narrow, and may become slippery when wet. Sturdy shoes should be worn and caution should be used to avoid contacting poison oak on some parts of the trail. Please follow all advisory signs.

This trail is in a primitive state currently, while the paths and outcroppings are planned and created for a post-Oak Release landscape. With the removal of conifer trees to make more space for native White Oak trees, the landscape may not be what some visitors expect. We are constantly working to improve the Refuge for both wildlife and people, and we are so thankful for the volunteers and staff who work so hard to make this trail, and amazing projects like the Oak Release, possible. It will be closed Thursdays, April 1st -October 1st, for trail maintenance and habitat restoration work. In the case of extreme weather, the trail will most likely be open (though then you visit at your own risk)- if work is happening, there will be cones and signs indicating the closed part of the trail.

Or, walk the Carty Lake Trail, which heads due west from below the Plankhouse, towards the Port of Ridgefield. You can park at the port, pay your entrance fee and walk to the unit and back, or park on the refuge and loop to the port and back. Once the Main Street Project is done, you will be able to make a large loop from the port, to the Carty Unit, to downtown, all on one trail! This is a seasonal trail, which is open May 1st-Sept. 30th, and BirdFest weekend, the first weekend of October.

Walk from downtown on the Main Street Extension! The completion of this major project, with a ribbon-cutting on February 14th, 2020, improves access to the Refuge and further links the Refuge with its local community. When the Carty Lake Trail opens for the season in May, walkers will be able to complete a 4.8 mile loop through Downtown Ridgefield, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, and the Port of Ridgefield. The loop will serve as a tour of the heart of Ridgefield and offers views of historic downtown buildings, Gee Creek, the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, Carty Lake, and Lake River. The rest of the year, use the sidewalk to enter the Refuge’s Carty Unit from downtown.

 

Fishing
Frogging is not allowed anywhere on the refuge.

Visitor Facilities
Located near the parking lot is a kiosk with Refuge maps and brochures and up-to-date information on events and the Cathlapotle Plankhouse. There are two vault restrooms located in the parking lot of the Carty unit. There are no restrooms, drinking fountains, or picnic areas on the Refuge.

Proposed Refuge Headquarters and Visitor Contact Station
The Carty Unit is the future site of the Ridgefield NWR Community Nature Center. Proposed facilities include a new parking area, information kiosk, visitor contact station, classrooms, and the headquarters office for the Refuge complex. In addition, there are plans to build an outdoor education and wildlife observation shelter, and to provide accessible trail and outdoor interpretive facilities.