U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Prime Hook

National Wildlife 

Refuge
The Prime Hook National Wildlife

Refuge was established in 1963

primarily to preserve coastal

wetlands as wintering and breeding

habitat for migratory waterfowl. 

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 consists of over 9,700

acres, approximately 7,400 acres of

which are fresh marsh, tidal marsh,

and open water. Other habitats

include approximately 1,000 acres of

timber and brush and 1,300 acres of

grasslands and croplands.

Water levels on more than 4,200 acres

of marsh are raised or lowered at

different times of the year through a

system of low dikes and water control

structures. This management

stimulates the growth of emergent

aquatic plant species for wildlife use.

Management of the water level is

important for restoring and

maintaining suitable resting and

feeding habitat for migratory

wintering waterfowl and shorebirds.

The refuge provides nesting habitat

for wood ducks, black ducks, and

other species. Overall refuge

Welcome

Management

Below: Wood ducks.

Left: Prime Hook

NWR’s intensively

managed marshes.

USFWS photos.
Migrations through the refuge

provide an excellent opportunity for

nature study. Fall concentrations of

Canada geese, snow geese, black

ducks, mallards, pintails, teal, and

wood ducks are of particular interest.

Many waterfowl winter on the refuge.

A variety of wading birds, shorebirds,

terns, and songbirds provide

additional interesting observations.

May is the best time for viewing

shorebirds and warblers. Several

species of waterfowl and other

waterbirds commonly nest in the

marshes.

Spring is the best time for observing

amphibians and reptiles. The most

frequently sighted wetland species

are the red-bellied and painted

turtles, while various frog species

such as spring peeper, cricket, green

and bull frogs can be heard and

sometimes seen. Upland species

frequently spotted are garter and

black rat snakes, red-backed

salamander, American and Fowler’s

toads, and the less commonly seen

fence lizard. A list of amphibians and

reptiles using the refuge is available

at the Visitor Center.

management is directed toward

providing a variety of habitat types

for maximum wildlife diversity.

Upland fields are managed under an

agreement with local farmers who

plant supplemental food for waterfowl

and other wildlife.

Prime Hook manages the forested

lands as habitat for the Delmarva

Peninsula Fox Squirrel which was

reintroduced to the refuge in l986.

The management of this endangered

species includes monitoring the

squirrel boxes, and capturing, tagging

and releasing the squirrels to get an

index of their population.

The varied marsh habitat of the

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

provides homes for numerous species

of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles,

amphibians and invertebrates.

Spectacular concentrations of

migrating waterfowl can be observed

during certain periods in the spring

and fall. Shorebirds can be observed

in the spring eating invertebrates in

the wetland areas, and horseshoe

crab eggs along the Delaware Bay

beaches.

Right, from 

top: Painted 

turtle, photo by

Karen & John

Hollingsworth;

Snow goose, photo

by Glen Smart.

Below: Shorebirds, 

photo by Shireen

Gonzaga.

Wildlife Calendar
Beach

B r o a d

k i l l

Prime Hook Beach

(Developed)

Turkle 

Pond

DELAWARE

FISH & GAME

Fleetwood 

Pond

Goose 

Pond

Bennett

Pond

Big 

Round 

Pond

Kelp 

Pond

Wilson

Pond

Spotterdock

Pond

Creek

Slaughter Beach Road

Fowler

Rd.

Prime

Hook

Beach Road

Broadkill

Beach

Road

Miry 

Pond

Wall

Island

Petersfield

Island

B r o a d k i l l

S o u n d

Fowler Beach

Slaughter Beach

(Developed)

To Milford

7 Miles

Milton

Waples

Pond

Nassau

River

Delaware Bay

12/99

Prime Hook

National 

Wildlife Refuge

Refuge 

Headquarters Broadkill Beach

(Developed)

North

16

16

1

Milford

Scale in Miles

0 10 20

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

Milton

Headquarters is located 12 miles 

southeast of Milford and 10 miles 

northwest of Lewes. Take Route 1 

to Route 16 east for 1 mile. Turn left 

into refuge and proceed 1.6 miles to 

the office.

14

16

113

14

13

Prime Hook

N.W.R.

5

1

0 1 2 Miles

0 1 2 Kilometers

S l a

u

g h t e r

C a n a l

S l a u g h t e r

Refuge Property

Refuge Boundary

Private Property

Please Respect

Note: Refuge boundary does not 

extend to Delaware Bay.
Tidal waterways and Turkle and

Fleetwood Ponds are open to

sportfishing in accordance with State

and Federal regulations. Largemouth

bass, pickerel, white perch and

crappies are most sought after and

abundant. Favorite fishing sites are

Prime Hook Creek, Turkle Pond, and

Fleetwood Pond. Boats using Turkle

and Fleetwood Ponds may only be

propelled manually or with electric

motors. Also, Petersfield Ditch and

Slaughter Canal are popular sites for

crabbing and fishing where no boat is

required.

Canoe enthusiasts have over 15 miles

of streams and ditches to enjoy.

Favorite routes are along Prime Hook

Creek and Petersfield Ditch. Boating

is permitted in tidal waters and

Turkle and Fleetwood Ponds in

accordance with State and Federal

regulations. Several boat launching

ramps are available to provide

convenient access. These are

delineated on maps available at

headquarters.

A Visitor Center is the welcoming

point for visitors to the refuge. It is

located just off of Broadkill Beach

Road (Route 16) as are the trails and

boat ramps. The Visitor Center was

opened to the public in 1997 and

contains wildlife displays, an

auditorium, and Friends of Prime

Hook sales outlet. The hours are

7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday

through Friday. Volunteers staff the

Visitor Center on weekends from

April 1 to Thanksgiving from 9:00 a.m.

to 4:00 p.m. Volunteers are involved in

the public use, maintenance and

biological programs. Call if you would

like to help. Other facilities include

the Boardwalk Trail which is near the

Visitor Center, and the Pine Grove

Trail, is next to Fleetwood Pond.

Hunting of waterfowl, deer, upland

game birds, and small game is

permitted within season. Special

regulations apply for these hunts, and

such information is available from the

refuge headquarters.

Above: Fishing

along HQ dike,

photo by Sylvia

Pelizza. 

Left: Deer, 

USFWS photo.

Public Use

Hunting

Fishing

Canoeing and

Boating
Prime Hook is one of over 500 refuges

in the National Wildlife Refuge

System administered by the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service. The National

Wildlife Refuge System is a network

of lands and waters managed

specifically for the protection of

wildlife and wildlife habitat and

represents the most comprehensive

wildlife management program in the

world. Units of the system stretch

across the United States from

northern Alaska to the Florida Keys

and include small islands in the

Caribbean and South Pacific. The

character of the refuges is as diverse

as the nation itself.

The Service also manages national

fish hatcheries, and provides federal

leadership in habitat protection,

technical assistance, and the

conservation and protection of

migratory birds, certain marine

mammals and threatened and

endangered species.

Four trails and four State highways

which transect the refuge afford the

visitor an ideal opportunity to observe

and photograph a variety of wildlife

and plants. Please remember that 

the taking of any plant or animal

without a permit is prohibited. 

Many species may be observed

relatively undisturbed in their 

natural habitat.

Above: Canoeing 

at Prime Hook,

photo by Marian

Pohlman.

Right: Swamp

Mallow, photo by

Shireen Gonzaga.

Wildlife

Observation and

Photography

U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service

This blue goose,

designed by J.N.

“Ding” Darling,

has become a

symbol of the

National Wildlife

Refuge System 

Below: Black duck,

USFWS photo.
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

RD 3, Box 195

Milton, DE 19968

302/684-8419

302/684-8504 fax

E-mail: r5rw_phnwr@fws.gov

Hearing impaired visitors may call 

the Delaware Relay Service at

800/232-5460 TDD 800/232-5470 voice.

This brochure is also available upon

request in a large print version.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov

January 2000

Cover: Delmarva Fox

squirrel, USFWS photo.