More Improvements at the Refuge

Refuge Manager Jack Fillio said that portions of the refuge have been closed since April 1 to help protect the nesting areas of piping plovers, tiny shore birds whose existence is classified as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Portions of the beaches will be gradyually reopened after mid-July, depending on the number of birds still nesting.

This year, 20 plovers have been counted at the refuge, slightly lower than average.

"You never know where they're going to nest. Sometimes they go one place and they don't like it and they come here. Or they come here and they don't like it so they leave. You just don't know why they do what they do," Fillio said.

By late summer, the entire six miles of refuge beach should be open to people _ with lots of good weather still left.

As usual, 4,600 acres of wildlife trails, fresh water marshes and miles of quiet roadway will remain open year round. Take a long walk, jog or ride your bicycle down the refuge's six miles of roadway.

Visitors can wander the winding paths of the Hellcat trails. The two trails run off parking lot 4, one of the refuge's largest parking lots. Two restrooms, which are accessible to visitors with handicaps, also stand nearby.

Parking lot 1, the largest parking lot, also offers restrooms for all visitors.

Farther down the road, at parking lot 5, refuge visitors can walk through a third of a mile of pines on the refuge's Pines Trail. At parking lot 7, a second observation deck gives visitors a clear view of the refuge's salt marsh system. Also on the trail is an observation platform which is accessible to handicapped persons.

Fillio suggests families may want to watch the nesting Canada geese that have settled in with their goslings.

Sandy Point Reservation has new staff, improved comfort stations, and room for 50 cars. The reservation which is owned by the state but accessible only by driving over the refuge's roadways. Sandy Point is wonderful for relaxing beach strolls, picnics, swimming, and offers a clear view of Ipswich's Crane Beach.

A total of 377 parking spaces are available when the refuge is fully open. The wildlife area is open from sunrise to sunset, year round, but even when the beach is open, summer visitors should get to the entrance gate on Sunset Drive early, because the number of cars allowed entry is limited. The Fish and Wildlife Service begins turning away motorists by 9 a.m. on a sunny summer weekend.

As long as beach access is prohibited, refuge staff will reopen the gate every two hours, allowing cars inside "based on available space," according to Fillio.

Bicyclists and pedestrians are not allowed into the refuge if the refuge is too full for cars. The refuge charges entry fees: $5 for cars, trucks and motorcycles; $2 for bicycles and pedestrians. For $15, visitors can buy a federal Duck Stamp that takes effect each July 1 and allows unlimited entry for a year from that date.

Also available is a refuge-specific pass for $12, valid only at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The pass is valid for 12 months from the month of issue.

Admission is free with a federal Golden Access Pass, available to people with disabilities, and with the Golden Age Passport for people 62 and over. Golden Age Passports now cost $10, which is good for a lifetime.

A $50 Golden Eagle Passport, which offers access to any federal recreation area including national parks, is valid at Parker River and is good for one year from month of issue.

Fillio also offers a word of warning to visitors unaware of the greenhead flies that converge on the refuge each summer. This year, the aggressive insects are expected to arrive slightly earlier than usual, in mid-June, and with any luck disappear a month later.

No surf fishing permits will be issued unless parts of the beach reopen after July 1, but only walk-on fishers will be allowed. No vehicles will be permitted onto the beach until it's opened entirely come mid to late August.

No pets, alcohol or nudity is allowed on the beach. In-line skating, or roller blading, and skateboarding are also not allowed. Fillio also said the refuge's 25 mile per hour speed limit is strictly enforced by federal officers with radar guns.

The refuge's long-awaited visitor center is making slow, but steady progress toward becoming a reality. Architects are currently working on site plan drawings and conducting traffic studies.

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