Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or any other management purpose, expressly for migratory birds. It is located on the west shore of Delaware Bay, approximately 22 miles southeast of Dover, the State capital, and 64 miles southeast of Wilmington, Delaware.The refuge is considered to have one of the best existing wetland habitat areas along the Atlantic Coast. These habitats have become important stop-over sites for spring and fall migrating shorebirds and wading birds. Endangered and threatened species management activities provide habitat for the Delmarva fox squirrel, nesting bald eagles and migrating peregrine falcons.  Neotropical land birds passing through utilize the refuge's upland forested habitat during the fall and spring. The refuge's 10,000 acres are a diverse landscape featuring freshwater and salt marshes, woodlands, grasslands, scrub-brush habitats, ponds, bottomland forested areas, a 7-mile long creek, and agricultural lands. These cover types provide habitat for approximately 296 species of birds, 38 species of reptiles and amphibians and 37 different mammals.Public use at Prime Hook provides compatible wildlife-oriented recreational opportunities. Since the signing of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, appropriate public uses of the Refuge System include six major wildlife-dependent recreational uses and are: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and environmental interpretation.