The Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex is located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. We welcome you to explore the various pages as you take a virtual tour of the Complex. As you begin your journey, you will discover the most complete network of protected lands in our Nation’s largest estuary. You will see the importance of the natural world to the quality of human life; the value of, and need for, fish and wildlife management; and the human role in preserving and enhancing wildlife habitat.
The Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex includes the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Eastern Neck NWR, Martin NWR and Susquehanna NWR. Other parts of the Complex are the Barren Island, Watts Island, Garrett Island, Bishops Head, and Spring Island Divisions.
Complex Map (pdf - 2.0MB)Complex Factsheet (pdf - 203KB)
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Around Thanksgiving we give thanks for another kind of bird, the tundra swans. Tundra swans visit the refuge starting in late November before migrating about 4,000 miles in March! They can fly up to 50 miles per hour, weigh 10 to 22 pounds, and have a wing span of 72-88 inches. Although they are all around the island, the Tundra Swan Boardwalk is the best viewing place to see the swans.