Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

06/08/2026

Every year during the second week of June, we shell-e-brate native turtles and the people and partners working to conserve them. In partnership with the Friends of Great Swamp, the University of Georgia, and Bristol County Agricultural High School, refuge staff are taking proactive and outside-the-box steps to conserve wood turtles.

On a spring night in 2007, Kurt Buhlmann sat on an overturned five-gallon bucket with a headlamp and a pair of binoculars, looking for wood turtles emerging from a streambank and clambering toward an adjacent farm field to nest. When he spied one of the rare reptiles, he would intercept it, carry it...

06/02/2026

The Wildlife Observation Center is now open. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

05/27/2026

🚨 Wildlife Observation Center CLOSED: Active Wildlife Hazard 🚨The WOC is temporarily closed due to an aggressive raccoon in the area.
Effective Date: May 27, 2026, until further notice.
Status: Officials are actively monitoring the situation to determine when it is safe to reopen.
Your safety is our top priority. This closure is strictly enforced to prevent negative human-wildlife encounters.

05/20/2026

A flag with a story to tell. As part of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Flags Across America for Freedom 250 celebration, our commemorative flag made at stop at the refuge! We were honored to have been selected as one of the places to highlight the lands, waters, and wildlife that connect our nation’s past, present, and future.

As part of the Flags Across America initiative for America’s 250th anniversary, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is sharing stories from the places where our commemorative flags have traveled. From historic hatcheries to vibrant refuges, each stop celebrates conservation as an enduring American ...

04/30/2026

A reminder for all our visitors, pets (non-service animals) are not allowed on refuge trails, boardwalks, or in the visitor center . Pets are only allowed to walk along Pleasant Plains Road and in parking areas on a leash not exceeding 10 feet at all times. Unleashed dogs have the ability to spread diseases to wildlife, as well as injure wildlife/other visitors.

Service animals (those that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability; the task(s) performed by the service animal must be directly related to the person’s disability) are allowed in all areas of the refuge that are open to the public, including refuge parking lots, roads, trails, and visitor centers.

Thank you for your cooperation (photo: unleashed dog and owner trespassing off-trail at the Great Swamp NWR).

04/09/2026

Pleasant Plains Road south of the north bridge will remain closed on Thursday April 9th for post-burn monitoring efforts. That section of the road will reopen as soon as conditions are deemed safe. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

04/06/2026

The U.S. Wildland Fire program will be attempting (dependent upon favorable weather conditions) a prescribed burn along Pleasant Plains Road tomorrow (April 7th) and Wednesday (April 8th) to improve wildlife habitat and lessen wildfire risk. The entirety of Pleasant Plains Road will be closed beginning tonight at 7PM. The entrance to the refuge at the intersection of Wood Duck Way and Lees Hill Road will reopen at 9:30AM tomorrow so that the Visitor Center can operate with normal hours. The rest of Pleasant Plains Road will remain closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and possibly on Thursday to ensure visitor and firefighter safety. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Prescribed burning removes invading trees and shrubs that would otherwise overtake the fields, helps control non-native plants, and promotes the growth of native warm-season grasses that provide important wildlife habitat. The operation will only take place under favorable weather conditions to keep the fire and smoke manageable.

04/01/2026

Due to a water leak inside the building, the Visitor Center will be closed on Thursday April 2nd. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

03/31/2026

With warmer temperatures arriving, a reminder to please drive slowly and be vigilant on the roads in and around the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Reptiles (turtles and snakes) and amphibians (frogs and salamanders) may be crossing or basking on the roads (photo: spotted turtle crossing Pleasant Plains Road/photo credit: Chelsea DiAntonio/USFWS).

03/30/2026

The entirety of Pleasant Plains Road and the Visitor Center will remain closed on Tuesday March 31st for post-burn monitoring. The road will reopen as soon as conditions are deemed safe. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

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