Top four estuaries in Western Washington

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March 4, 1999

Top four estuaries in Western Washington

By GREG JOHNSTON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Nisqually National Wildlife RefugeEstablished in 1974, the refuge encompasses nearly 3,000 acres and protects one of the last relatively undisturbed and undeveloped estuaries in Puget Sound. The highlight is the loop trail.

Situated just off Interstate 5 about eight miles northeast of Olympia, the refuge is open daily during daylight hours. Maps are available from refuge headquarters during weekday business hours. There's a $3 per family entrance fee.

Skagit Wildlife AreaManaged by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife for its precious habitat, the Skagit delta is the most important waterfowl habitat in Western Washington.

In winter, the area's 12,761 acres harbor more than 20 duck species, Canada geese, snow geese, black brant, trumpeter swans, herons, eagles and a stunning variety of hawks and falcons.

There are plenty of hiking opportunities. Several dikes can be walked from the headquarters area, reached by taking Exit 221 (Conway) off I-5 south of Mount Vernon. Take Fir Island Road and in a couple miles, go left on Mann Road, which leads directly to headquarters and a parking area.

The Fish and Wildlife Department is so short of funding there are no interpretive facilities and no maps available, which is ridiculous, considering the area's size and popularity. But it's easy to find the dikes and foot-beaten paths from the parking area.

You'll need a Fish and Wildlife Department Access Stewardship Decal to park your car on agency lands, at $10 (free if you buy a hunting or fishing license) and available from most sporting goods stores and agency offices.

Johns River Wildlife AreaThis lesser-known estuary, on the south side of Grays Harbor, also is managed by the Fish and Wildlife Department. It offers a usually lonely, marshy, maritime ambience and a great chance to see native Olympic elk.

Old dikes criss-cross myriad backwater channels; take your pick and follow one deep into the wetlands (the area encompasses the lower two-plus miles of the Johns River).

With binoculars, scan upland meadows for elk. Later this month and into April, massive flocks of northbound shorebirds, such as dunlins and sandpipers, will create quite a spectacle. The last two hours of the rising tide is the best time to see them.

Refuge managers report a few footbridges between dikes and over sloughs are out and will be replaced when funding becomes available.

To reach the area, take state Route 105 from South Aberdeen toward Westport. About eight miles outside of town, after crossing the river, take a left on Johns River Road and shortly find a gravel road on the left down to a boat launch and parking area. You'll need an access decal here too.

Willapa National Wildlife RefugeThe best hiking in this 13,500-acre estuarial refuge is on its Lewis Unit. It provides parking and a solid maintenance road (closed to public vehicles) down along the tidal reaches of the Bear River, where visitors can see a host of waterfowl, sometimes including swans.

This is another great spot for late March/April shorebirds, and it's less crowded than the popular Bowerman Basin area of Grays Harbor. There is no entrance fee, and no decal is required. From Raymond, head south on U.S. Route 101. A couple of miles after crossing the Naselle River, look to the right for refuge headquarters. For the trailhead, continue south, cross the Bear River and look for Jeldness Road on the right. It dead-ends at the parking area, which includes a brochure rack.