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Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

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Davis, WV
Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

The nation's 500th refuge!

Protecting relict boreal forest and the largest wetland complex in central and southern Appalachia in the high-elevation Canaan Valley.

06/05/2026

“You gonna eat that flower?”

In addition to their weather-predicting talents, groundhogs (Marmota monax) are very skilled engineers📐👷. While humans may view these furry pals as pests in their garden, their elaborate tunnel networks and chambers create habitat for many ground-dwelling animals, and their dirt digging activities support the nutrient cycle! Groundhogs rely on eating plenty of leafy greens and flowers coated in morning dew for their water intake, eating over a pound of vegetation a day during the warm season. That’s a lot of flowers!🌼

📷: NPS

06/04/2026

🌻Program Reminder🌻

Wildflowers are a-bloomin' in the Valley! Join us on Saturday, June 6 for our What's Blooming guided hike to discover the seasonal beauty of wildflowers with a local naturalist. This is a monthly program that takes place on the first Saturday of the month through October. The trail changes with the blooming plants, so meet at the Visitor Center at 10AM to start your adventure!

📷: Arrowwood viburnum, Candy Olson

06/03/2026

Calling all Junior Explorers!

The Wild Wednesday program is returning this summer! Starting Wednesday, June 17, join us every week this summer on an hour-long adventure for 3-8 year-olds and their guardians!

This program occurs every Wednesday from June 17 to August 5 from 11AM to 12PM at the Refuge Visitor Center. This free program is presented by the Friends of the 500th.

You can check out the weekly themes and RSVP by going to this link: https://forms.office.com/g/cdP0jGnkgw

05/29/2026

The brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a popular game fish native to eastern North America. They require cold, clean, and well-oxygenated water. During the day, brook trout may retreat to deeper waters or shaded areas and are more active around dawn or dusk. Consuming mostly insects, these opportunistic fish will also eat smaller fish, crustaceans, salamanders, voles, or anything that could be floating past them. Spawning occurs in the fall in shallow depressions (redds) typically in gravel substrates. The eggs hatch in January and by mid-March juvenile brook trout leave the redds.

And don't forget to drop by our tent at the 3rd annual Appalachian Fly Fishing Festival, May 30 – May 31, 2026, in Thomas, West Virginia, where we'll have a brook trout-themed activity for kids (and kids at heart)!

📷: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

05/28/2026

Check us out at the 3rd Annual Appalachian Fly Fishing Festival this weekend! 🐟🎣

We'll be tabling with the Friends of the 500th Saturday and Sunday on the railroad grade in Thomas, WV. Hope we'll see you there!

05/27/2026

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is publishing proposed 2026-2027 station-specific hunting and fishing regulations to open or expand opportunities at 111 field stations within the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System, including here at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The Service is seeking public comment on the proposed rule for 30 days. Learn more about the proposed rule and how to submit comments with the link in the comments of this post.

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor those who died while serving our Nation.

It's also a day for the family members -- spouses, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends, to remember the loved ones they lost.

We will never forget the dedication and sacrifice made by the fallen.

Photo of a red-tailed hawk with the American flag by Kyle Flannery/USFWS

05/22/2026

Pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule) is a widespread and long-lived orchid that is typically found in piney woodlands. Although usually pink like their name suggests, pink lady’s slipper flowers can vary from white to a deep magenta. While the plant often lives for 20+ years, it takes 3+ years of growth to bloom, and even then only flowers a handful of times during its lifetime.

Try to spot these delicate ephemeral beauties from the Freeland boardwalk this May!🤍🩷💜

📷: Ken Sturm/USFWS

05/21/2026

We've got three programs this upcoming ArtSpring weekend!

🎨 Saturday & Sunday | Woodcock Crafts: Drop by the Visitor Center during open hours to make your own American woodcock craft!

🦫 Saturday | Busy Beavers Walk: Join volunteer Robin on a short guided walk to learn about nature's best engineers! Program begins at 11AM at the Freeland Boardwalk.

🐦 Sunday | Freeland Bird Walk: Join volunteer Jim on a short walk to discover what birds are popping up on the Freeland Boardwalk! Program begins at 8AM at the Freeland Boardwalk.

05/20/2026

For many people, the natural world acts as their artistic muse. To celebrate the upcoming ArtSpring Festival, we're sharing some of the nature-inspired art created by our AFNHA AmeriCorps members. This piece was created by Kat!

"The eastern newt is a common species found on the refuge. I wanted to use a unique medium to capture two different life stages it has - the terrestrial eft and the aquatic, adult newt. This was made using cut paper, ink pens, and some markers."

Kat serves as a biological technician on the refuge. Some of her work involves monitoring the population and movement of salamanders, including the threatened Cheat Mountain salamander.

🎨: Kat Moorman/USFWS

Address

6263 Appalachian Highway
Davis, WV
26260

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+13048663858

Website

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/canaan-valley

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