Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge

Tidal marshland refuge south of town with bald eagles and migrating waterfowl

A short drive south of Rock Hall the road crosses a narrow causeway onto Eastern Neck Island, 2,300 acres of tidal marsh, woodland, and brackish ponds protected as a National Wildlife Refuge. The island is a major stopover on the Atlantic Flyway. From November to March it fills with tundra swans, geese, ducks, and bald eagles; in spring and summer there are osprey, marsh wrens, and prothonotary warblers.

Several short trails cross the refuge and a long boardwalk crosses the marsh on the south side. There is no admission charge. Bring binoculars, insect repellent in summer, and a windbreak in winter — the bay wind cuts hard across the open water.

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Eastern Neck is critical winter habitat for tundra swans and Canada geese — at peak you can see tens of thousands of waterfowl rafted up on the river. The refuge was almost lost to a 1960s housing development called Cape Chesterton; the federal government bought the land in 1962 for $1.6 million to save it.

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