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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,375 Google reviews · Running trail in Ridgefield, Washington · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Loop distance
- 4 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Guided hikes & wildlife observation are popular at this sprawling refuge with a variety of habitats.
What runners say about Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
“It was a beautiful week day a few weeks ago in April and at the height of the spring migration.”
“There is absolutely ALWAYS some sort of wonderous creature to see, peaceful note from nature to take in… stop in, pull up to the left to pay your park dues and enjoy!”
“This is a nice, relaxing, and easy trail to view wildlife!”
What a fun hike! This refuge is absolutely beautiful! The trees are a MUST see! The colors are simply breathtaking this time of year, as you will see from my photos/videos.
Wonderfully peaceful and exciting opportunities to see wildlife! We have seen nutria, river otters, coyote pups, raccoons, all manner of birds, birds of prey, turtles, frogs, snakes and deer. Highly recommend this drive for a reset from busy city life! You won’t regret it!
This place is beautiful and family friendly. We went to early to enjoy all the trails, the main trailhead opens May 1. There weren't as many birds to see, but, again, we might have been there too early in the season. Without the trailhead open, there is still about 3 miles trails open.
There is a 4.2 mile ring road on causeways. One is encouraged to stay in their car. Abd you are rewarded with some good looks at some pretty nice birds. The stop at the one remaining blind is a highlight. There are paths at the refuge office closer to the old village which might be good for hikers.
Trail conditions & character
“It was a beautiful week day a few weeks ago in April and at the height of the spring migration.”
“We went to early to enjoy all the trails, the main trailhead opens May 1.”
“There is absolutely ALWAYS some sort of wonderous creature to see, peaceful note from nature to take in… stop in, pull up to the left to pay your park dues and enjoy!”
“We went about 5mph and it took us about 45 minutes with no stopping to do the loop.”
“Looks like a newer community events building will be opening May 2026 with restrooms and plenty of event space!”
Plan your run at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- Loop distance4 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Websitefws.gov
- Phone+1 360-887-4106
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 5:30 am–9 pm |
| Tuesday | 5:30 am–9 pm |
| Wednesday | 5:30 am–9 pm |
| Thursday | 5:30 am–9 pm |
| Friday | 5:30 am–9 pm |
| Saturday | 5:30 am–9 pm |
| Sunday | 5:30 am–9 pm |
Running trails near Ridgefield
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Abrams Park
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Overlook Park
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Rose Homestead Park
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Paradise Point State Park
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Creekside state park offering 88 acres of fee-based camping with yurts available for rental.