Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge The nation's 500th refuge!

Protecting relict boreal forest and the largest wetland complex in central and southern Appalachia in the high-elevation Canaan Valley.

Hunters, try lead-free ammunition for free or at a reduced cost this hunting season!Hunters of Canaan Valley NWR can sub...
08/31/2026

Hunters, try lead-free ammunition for free or at a reduced cost this hunting season!

Hunters of Canaan Valley NWR can submit receipts to receive a gift card for up to $50 per box of lead-free hunting ammunition ($25/box for shotgun or muzzleloader and $50/box for rifle). This is first come, first served, with a limit of two boxes of ammunition per eligible hunter.

For more information about the program and to submit your receipts, check out the links in the comments 👇

This voluntary incentive aims to help hunters who wish to try lead-free ammunition. The incentives are received and distributed by the North American Lead-free Partnership.

The Johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum) is a small fish that lives in rivers, streams, and lakes. They primarily live alon...
08/28/2026

The Johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum) is a small fish that lives in rivers, streams, and lakes. They primarily live along the bottom where they forage on invertebrates and decaying animal and plant matter. The females lay their eggs on the underside of rocks and other debris in late spring/early summer, and males will guard these eggs. Johnny darters can quickly settle in newly formed habitats from things like restoration projects, which is why they are considered a “pioneer species”.


📷: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

We're excited to be attending the Tucker County Fair this weekend at Camp Kidd! Stop by our tent this Friday and Saturda...
08/27/2026

We're excited to be attending the Tucker County Fair this weekend at Camp Kidd! Stop by our tent this Friday and Saturday evening for some family-friendly activities and learn about the ways you can enjoy the refuge!

📷: JJ Yarley/USFWS

The 2026-27 WV Hunt Season is nearly upon us! Looking to hunt on Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge? Here's what you...
08/26/2026

The 2026-27 WV Hunt Season is nearly upon us! Looking to hunt on Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge? Here's what you need to know! 🦌

Hunting on the refuge is permitted following regulations set by both the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and Canaan Valley NWR. Hunters will need a hunt permit to hunt on refuge land. These permits can be obtained via our hunt brochures, which contain a copy of our regulations, hunt map, and the permit. You will need to have a signed copy of the permit on your person while out in the field. The brochure is now available on our website where it can be downloaded and printed (look in the comments for the link 👇). We thank you for your patience as we work to obtain and distribute physical copies of the brochure at our trailhead kiosks.

Hunting season on the refuge runs from September to February, plus the spring gobbler season. We recommend wearing blaze orange during these months when you are on our trails to increase visibility.

📷: Courtesy of the R3 photo collection.

“I got my red petals on tonight, attracting in the sun hummingbirds left and right“The saturation of your screen isn’t o...
08/21/2026

“I got my red petals on tonight, attracting in the sun hummingbirds left and right“

The saturation of your screen isn’t off, the cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) has extremely vivid scarlet petals. The bright hues, tubular flower shape, and abundant nectar attract ruby-throated hummingbirds; the primary pollinator of the cardinal flower. Late summer is to perfect time to catch their blooms. Stop by the native garden at the Visitor Center to find these crimson beauties!


📷: Elizabeth Mahoney/USFWS

Over the river and through the woods, to search for salamanders we go! 🦎Each summer, our biology team conducts surveys f...
08/19/2026

Over the river and through the woods, to search for salamanders we go! 🦎

Each summer, our biology team conducts surveys for the Cheat Mountain salamander, a threatened species found in only five counties here in West Virginia. While the Cheat Mountain salamander is the focus of the survey, they find a whole host of other salamanders, including those pictured here.

These photos were taken during some of the nighttime long-term monitoring surveys, where our team is documenting the population of these salamanders and their movement. Understanding these factors better equip us and our partners with the tools to help this species on the road to recovery.

The eastern bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a wild cat that mainly inhabits forests, wetlands, and meadows, including here in Can...
08/14/2026

The eastern bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a wild cat that mainly inhabits forests, wetlands, and meadows, including here in Canaan Valley. They are adept at hunting rabbits, hares, small rodents, birds, and deer fawns. While elusive and rare to see, they can often be heard at night by their eerie sounding screech or scream, typically heard most during their breeding season (late winter & early spring). This high-pitched scream can travel over a mile and is used to both attract mates and let other bobcats know they are around.


📷: Larry Pace/USFWS

🦋Program Reminder🦋Join us this Saturday, August 15, at 6pm for a program all about the magnificent monarch! Naturalist D...
08/13/2026

🦋Program Reminder🦋

Join us this Saturday, August 15, at 6pm for a program all about the magnificent monarch! Naturalist Destiny Phillips-Judy will explore the fascinating ecology of these insects—including their migration to all the way to Mexico—as well as easy ways you can support monarchs at home.

This program is part of our monthly Wild Wonders series, made possible with support from the Friends of the 500th. These programs take place on the third Saturday, April through October, at the Canaan Valley NWR Visitor Center (6263 Appalachian Hwy, Davis, WV 26260).

📷: Monarch butterfly, Hayley Sutton/USFWS

🎵I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 32🎵On this day 32 years ago, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge was establi...
08/11/2026

🎵I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 32🎵

On this day 32 years ago, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established as the nation's 500th national wildlife refuge. Today, we protect nearly 19,000 acres across the high-elevation Canaan Valley, including the largest wetland complex in the central Appalachians.

📷: © Kent Mason

The bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is an impressive migratory songbird that can travel up to 12,500 miles between Nort...
08/07/2026

The bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is an impressive migratory songbird that can travel up to 12,500 miles between North and South American grasslands every year. Bobolinks were named from the poem “Robert of Lincoln” by William Cullen Bryant that recounts the events of the “Bob-o-‘Link’s” during breeding season. Males are black with a white back (like a backwards tuxedo) and straw-colored patch on the back of the head. Outside of the breeding season, a male will molt and resembles the buff and brown female.


📷: © Kent Mason

Address

6263 Appalachian Highway
Davis, WV
26260

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+13048663858

Website

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