Glades Wildlife Refuge

Home
United States
Newport, NJ
Glades Wildlife Refuge

Glades Wildlife Refuge is an expanse of diverse landscapes: vast tidal marshes, wooded uplands, beaches, and a remarkable old growth forest.

See our website for more information including our history, a trail map, and hours of operation. Glades Wildlife Refuge is an expanse of diverse landscapes: vast tidal marshes, wooded uplands, beaches along the Delaware Bay, and a remarkable old growth forest. Here the cycles and rhythm of the natural world are evident in the seasonal weather, migrating birds, and fluctuating tides. In 1964, Natur

al Lands celebrated the preservation of what was once called “Snow Goose Marsh,” an area of brackish wetlands along the coast of Delaware Bay. The fledgling preserve was the result of a donation of several contiguous parcels, the smallest of which was a mere 1.6 acres. Despite its humble beginnings, Glades Wildlife Refuge is now the largest of Natural Lands’ preserves, the result of nearly five decades of patient, persistent acquisition of adjoining lands. Glades Wildlife Refuge is owned and managed by non-profit conservation organization Natural Lands. Learn more at www.natlands.org.

06/08/2026

Ruddy Turnstones are long-distance migrants that breed in the arctic tundra, but spend the off seasons on rocky shorelines and sandy beaches, including at Glades. These birds need to fly fast to cover the enormous distances between their breeding and nonbreeding grounds. Flight speeds of turnstones average between 27 and 47 miles per hour.

📸: Steve Eisenhauer

06/01/2026

Unlike many turtles that spend time basking in the sun on logs or rocks, snapping turtles prefer to stay submerged in water for most of their lives. They are excellent swimmers and often bury themselves in mud or vegetation at the bottom of lakes and ponds, waiting for prey to pass by. The only time they venture onto land is when females lay eggs, typically in sandy or soft soil near water. Snapping turtles cannot heal major injuries to their shells. While small cracks or minor damage may repair over time, a severe injury—such as being hit by a car—can be fatal. This makes road crossings particularly dangerous for them, especially during nesting season when females travel to lay eggs. Please keep an eye out for them when driving on roads near boggy, wet areas!

05/25/2026

Grasses that tolerate tidal, brackish water dominate Glades. These grasses provide rich habitat for crustaceans, mollusks, and birds, and are an important food source for ducks and other waterfowl. In addition, the grasses filter pollutants from the water and buffer the shoreline from flooding and erosion.

📸: Mae Axelrod

05/18/2026

Last May, a group of Natural Lands donors and volunteers enjoyed an exclusive tour of Glades Wildlife Refuge, including a visit to Raybin’s Beach where, every spring, thousands of Red Knots land to feast on horseshoe crab eggs. These migratory shorebirds travel an astonishing 20,000 miles annually between the Arctic and South America. Without this important refueling layover along the Delaware Bayshore, they would not survive the journey.

Participant Mike Niven snapped this photo of a Red Knot and, when looking at his photos later, noted the bands on both legs. Natural Lands staff submitted the band numbers to the U.S. Geological Survey and learned this bird was banded 11 years earlier and is estimated to be 13 years old. The average lifespan of a Red Knot is between three and five years.

The math would suggest that this individual bird has migrated about a quarter of a million miles in its lifetime, roughly equivalent to the distance between Earth and the Moon. We’re proud that he—or she—fit in a visit to a Natural Lands preserve. By protecting the tidal shoreline it depends on, Natural Lands is ensuring that this bird and others like it can thrive.

📸: Bill Moses

05/11/2026

Horseshoe crabs are living fossils that have existed for more than 300 million years, pre-dating dinosaurs. Despite their name, they are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than crabs. In spring, their eggs offer protein-rich sustenance to migratory birds like the Red Knot.

05/04/2026

Who else thinks Barn Owls look a little like the Porgs from "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"? May the Fourth be with you.

📸: Steve Eisenhauer

04/30/2026

Dragonflies, like this Mantled Baskettail, can see nearly 360 degrees and are such skilled hunters that they have a 95% success rate in catching their prey.

📸: Brian Johnson

04/24/2026

Red and gray individuals occur across the range of the Eastern Screech-Owl, with about one-third of all individuals being red. Rufous owls are more common in the East, with fewer than 15% red at the western edge of the range. Learn more about owls: https://www.natlands.org/news/owls-are-outstanding/

📸: Steve Eisenhauer

04/17/2026

At distance, Glossy Ibises look uniformly dark, but a close look in good light reveals stunning colors: deep maroon, emerald, bronze, and violet.

📸: Dustin Welch

04/10/2026

When walking in the woods, remember to look down to spot the spectacular spring fungi you just might spy.

📸: Melissa Mazzola

Address

891 Turkey Point Road
Newport, NJ
08315

Telephone

+1 610-353-5587

Website

https://natlands.org/glades-wildlife-refuge/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Glades Wildlife Refuge posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Government Service in Newport?