State Parks and National Parks

Patuxent Research Refuge

Laurel, MD U.S.A.

10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop
Laurel, MD 20708-4027
U.S.A.

301-497-5760 South Tract Visitor Center
301-776-3090 North Tract

Open Year-Round

No Entry Fee Charged

State Park Information

The Patuxent Research Refuge was established in 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as America's first wildlife experiment station.

The refuge extends over 12,750 acres in the Patuxent River Valley, midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It is divided into the South Tract, site of the National Wildlife Visitor Center; the North Tract, open to the public for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, hiking, bicycling and horseback riding; and the Central Tract, designated for research and the protection of wildlife, and closed to the public.

The National Wildlife Visitor Center, one of the largest science and environmental education centers in the Department of the Interior, seeks to increase knowledge of and appreciation for the earth's natural resources. The center offers state of the art interactive exhibits, educational programs, hiking trails, weekend wildlife movies and seasonal tram tours.

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