For biking, hiking and birding, it's hard to beat Prime Hook and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuges in Sussex and Kent counties, Delaware. With over 26,000 acres of marsh, forests, and farm fields, this spectacular wildlife setting is a must-see for visitors to Delmarva.

In 1963, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge was established under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act for use as an inviolate sanctuary expressly for migratory birds. The refuge began as a satellite to its 16,000-acre cousin, Bombay Hook, to the north.

In 1986, the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel was reintroduced to the refuge which now boasts a population of around 50 squirrels. Expanding to 10,000 acres over 30 years, the wildfowl haven now represents one of the largest freshwater impoundments on the East Coast.

In contrast, Bombay Hook has one of the largest expanses of nearly unaltered tidal salt marsh in the mid-Atlantic region. Bombay Hook was established in 1937 as a link in the chain of refuges that extends from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

The refuges are located in a key position in the Atlantic flyway and each year host hundreds of thousands of migratory birds. Today, the refuges' primary objectives continue to focus on providing habitat and protection for waterfowl, water birds, and other migratory birds and endangered species. Together they will help insure the availability of these resources in the future.