Grays Harbor
Hoquiam, WA 98550
Plan Your Visit
Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge provides recreation opportunities to thousands of visitors every year. Shorebirds migrating from as far south as Argentina stop to rest and feed in Grays Harbor Estuary every spring. The estuary's open mudflats provide ample food for the migrants and great wildlife viewing opportunities for the public. Whether birding, practicing photography, or participating in educational programs, visitors enjoy viewing the unique ecosystems and diverse wildlife. Regulation of recreation activities allows for public enjoyment of the refuge while still protecting the wildlife and habitats.
There is one official entrance to the refuge on Airport Way. Visitors park in a marked parking area along Airport Way and walk 1/3-mile along a blacktop road owned by the Port of Grays Harbor to reach the Sandpiper Trail. Through a cooperative agreement with the Port, refuge visitors are allowed to walk the blacktop road to reach the trailhead. Access to the hangars and the runways is not permitted for safety and security reasons.
High tide is the best time to spot shorebirds as they follow the edge of the water, bringing them closer to the boardwalk trail. The Sandpiper Trail is open year-round and visitors take approximately 90 minutes from the parking area. Restrooms and potable water are not available at the refuge.
There is no fee to visit Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge.
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
National wildlife refuges partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of urban and rural communities to make a lasting difference. Join Grays Harbor Refuge staff to help make American lands healthier and communities stronger while gaining new skills and rewarding experiences. We have a wide range of opportunities, from habitat management to biological monitoring to visitor services, and you are likely to have skills that we can learn from. Get involved and join the team! Contact us for more information: 360-753-9467, or nisqually@fws.gov.
Volunteering
Discover for yourself what tens of thousands of volunteers have learned: Volunteering for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is fun and rewarding in many ways. Master new skills. Meet new friends. Enjoy a sense of accomplishment from doing your part to further wildlife conservation for the pleasure of generations to follow. Check out our Refuge's volunteer opportunities:
Environmental Education
Beginning in the fall and lasting throughout the school year, the Grays Harbor NWR Shorebird Education Program provides in-classroom lessons to 3rd and 4th grade students in Grays Harbor County. Volunteers are needed to assist with in-classroom lessons, shorebird poster drawing lessons, and field trips to Grays Harbor Refuge in April and May. It is rewarding to witness students' discoveries in nature, especially on the trail where they make the connections with classroom learning.
Resource Management
Qualified volunteers assist Refuge Biologists with shorebird surveys, invasive plant species mapping, and habitat restoration.
Facilities Maintenance
Volunteers assist Refuge staff and the Washington Conservation Corps. crew in general tasks including: sign installation; boardwalk repairs; clearing and cutting along the Sandpiper Trail; blowing and sanding the Trail; and other routine maintenance projects.
Services
About
Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge was authorized by Congress in 1988 following a grassroots effort to protect crucial mudflat habitat in Bowerman Basin. Established in 1990 with its first land acquisition, the refuge now encompasses approximately 1,408 acres of intertidal flats, salt marshes, and forested habitats. Managed as part of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Complex, its mission is to conserve fish and wildlife populations, particularly migratory shorebirds, for the benefit of present and future generations.