Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex

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United States
Newburyport, MA
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Federally managed conservation area. Enjoy opportunities to hike, bike, and view wildlife within a wide variety of habitats. OPEN SUNRISE TO SUNSET.
(1455)

Free nature based programs and field trips offered every week. Visit our online calendar to learn more! For official information about the Parker River NWR Complex: www.fws.gov/refuge/parker-river

For more information about the Fish and Wildlife Service: www.fws.gov

For more about our social media efforts: www.fws.gov/home/socialmedia

The refuge consists of 4,662 acres of diverse upland and wet

land habitats including sand beach and dune, shrub/thicket, bog, swamp, freshwater marsh, salt marsh and associated creek, river, mud flat, and salt panne. These and other refuge habitats support varied and abundant populations of resident and migratory wildlife including more than 300 species of birds, along with mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and plants.

09/05/2026

H O N K !

09/04/2026

How does marsh restoration benefit shorebirds? What impacts will the Stage Island impoundment restoration have on birding opportunity? Who are those people in the marsh?! Join us for a special 'Marsh Restoration for Birders' presentation next Thursday September 10 at 6pm at the refuge visitor center. Refuge biologist Nancy Pau will discuss different restoration processes, salt marsh ecology, the historic human-made alterations to Plum Island's salt marshes, as well as bird populations and viewing opportunities. There will be time for questions, sharing of wildlife observation data, and conversations around management, restoration, and the natural and human-caused shifts in habitat and wildlife.

This program is free, but registration is required for auditorium capacity: bit.ly/parkerriversignup

09/03/2026

Party time! We are thrilled to welcome the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club back on Tuesday September 8 for a night with the stars. Plus, some very exciting new partners! Local artist Jenn Houle will be leading a drop-in glow chalk mural in the Lot 1 parking lot beginning at 6pm. Star gazing begins at 7:30pm, and will be accompanied by Teddy Speck of Theater in the Open performing 'The Raven!' This program is open to all ages, but registration is required for after hours access: bit.ly/parkerriversignup.

Note: rain / cloud date is Thursday September 10. Same details!

09/02/2026

Fall migration continues to bring numerous shorebirds to the salt marsh. Least sandpipers, semipalmated plovers, and more have been feasting on the abundant offerings in the mudflats and pools. This abundance is made possible by the natural tide cycle. During daily and monthly low tides, vast expanses of flats are exposed that provide easy foraging opportunities for invertebrates like marine worms, crabs, and amphipods. Flooding during daily and monthly high tides replenishes and nourishes invertebrate populations, starting the cycle anew.

Want to learn more about how ongoing restoration work is enhancing salt marsh habitat? Join our special after hours program September 10 at 6pm "Salt Marsh Restoration for Birders" with biologist Nancy Pau for a presentation followed by Q&A. Free, registration required due to auditorium capacity: bit.ly/parkerriversignup.

Photo credit: Madelyn Kaplin / USFWS

09/01/2026

Art alert! We're thrilled to share a new mural by local artist Jenn Houle celebrating the salt marsh and species that thrive on the cycling tides. This mural in the sub-headquarters pit toilets completes the set of murals Jenn began last spring that add a little beauty and educational opportunity at a critical pitstop for many visitors. Check out the neighboring stall to see her 2025 pollinator mural, designed with help from local school children.

08/31/2026

UPDATE 9/1/26: PROGRAM FULL!
Program alert! Our Tuesday, September 8 Behind the Scenes Van Tour has a few seats open. Get 'em now - they can go fast once we announce open seats! Ages 12+ please. Register here: bit.ly/parkerriversignup

08/30/2026

Reminder! Today is the last day to walk the cross d**e between sub-headquarters and the Hellcat Tower. Parking is available at either end, and the route is approximately 3 miles round trip. View wading herons and egrets, dabbling ducks, osprey on the hunt, and swarming tree swallows if you're lucky! This week of special access ends at sunset this evening, and won't reopen again until next August.

08/29/2026

Meet a marsh critter! Fiddler crab numbers are on the rise in the Great Marsh due to warming water. Ongoing research is studying their effects on the system, but so far indicates no negative impacts. Fiddler crabs are named for their special limbs! Males, like the crab shown on the right, have one large claw used to compete with one another over territory and attract mates.

08/28/2026

Meep meep! Greater yellowlegs are returning to the salt marsh on their migration south. These long-distance travelers breed in subarctic parts of Alaska and Canada, and are now headed to warmer weather in the southern U.S and Mexico, and across numerous Caribbean and South American countries. The Great Marsh provides abundant food to fuel their journey. This bird was filmed foraging at Nelson Island, where ongoing restoration is helping to restore healthy tidal flow and enhance habitat for shorebirds and the invertebrates and small fish they feed on!

08/27/2026

Our signage may not be beautiful, but leave no trace principles apply to ALL aspects of visiting the refuge. Adding your DIY art projects, unauthorized memorials, and other human made paraphernalia to signs, trails, and boardwalks is against refuge regulations and not in the spirit of leaving natural places as you found them. Please remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. Want to help make the refuge more beautiful? Join the annual fall beach cleanup on Saturday September 26 from 9am - 3pm.

Address

6 Plum Island Turnpike
Newburyport, MA
01950

Telephone

+19784655753

Website

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/parker-river

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