Wildlife refuge · Virginia
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its own timing: May.
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in pictures
Illustrative photos, not current conditions
What the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says
“This 2,227-acre refuge encompasses approximately 2,000 acres of mature hardwood forest, the largest freshwater marsh in northern Virginia, and nearly six miles of shoreline.”Visit official site ↗
When to go
In the source's own words; no peak claimed unless the source says so
- May“Bird migration is at its peak as songbirds, waterfowl and raptors continue to move through the refuge for points north.”
- April“Eaglets hatch. Great blue heron courting and nesting peaks within the colony. White-tailed deer bucks grow new antlers.”
- June“Eaglets fledge. Turtle nesting season peaks.”
- later in September“The southerly waterfowl migration has begun. Songbird and raptor migration peaks later in the month. Monarch butterflies are on the move southward towards Mexico.”
Before you go
Ticks - Avoid walking through tall grasses and stay on trails. Ticks may transmit disease; visitors are encouraged to check for ticks following a visit.
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge on the map
With the places we follow within 60 miles
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
- Winter
Other places to visit
Places on this map, as a list
Nearby
Within 60 straight-line miles; roads are longer
- Occoquan Bay RefugeFall foliage · late October · 4 mi
- Washington, DCCherry blossoms · Mar–Apr · 18 mi
- US National ArboretumCherry blossoms · Mar–Apr · 21 mi
- Kenilworth Aquatic GardensWildflowers · late May through September · 22 mi
- Patuxent Research RefugeFall foliage · late October · 33 mi
- Baltimore (Fort McHenry)Cherry blossoms · Mar–Apr · 53 mi
- Eastern Neck RefugeTundra swans · Nov–Mar · 57 mi
- Blackwater RefugeFall foliage · October to December · 58 mi
- Gambrill State ParkFall foliage · Oct (statewide) · 59 mi
Worth the drive
60 to 100 straight-line miles away
Antietam 64 mi · Catoctin Mountain 69 mi · Shenandoah 69 mi
How we know
Every fact on this page, from these pages
- Sep 30Park ServiceElizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge: seasonal timing (Codex round 25; saved under research/round25/pages/)Source (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in a new tab)
- Oct 1Park ServiceElizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge (Codex round 28)Source (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in a new tab)