Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge - Ridgefield, Washington
Posted by: 
DougK
N 45° 48.424 W 122° 44.602
10T E 519940 N 5072644
The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex is comprised of four National Wildlife Refuges in southwestern Washington State. These Refuges share the common bond of the lower Columbia River.
Waymark Code: WMHJQA
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 07/16/2013
Views: 9
There's a funny story, maybe only a waymarker would appreciate, associated with this visit. I was driving down Interstate 5 in Washington, headed home, when I saw a sign along the freeway for the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. It took me a few minutes of thinking to remember how I'd heard of this place before and why it was interesting. I had previously waymarked the
U-Haul truck
which had featured this preserve. The reason U-Haul had featured this preserve was because Ridgefield, Washington was the original home of the U-Haul company! Well, I just had to pull of I-5 and detour for a visit this place to somehow round out and complete the story of the
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge!
The entrance to the wildlife refuge is at N 45 48.44, W 122 44.03 on South Hillhurst Road.
I drove down a slow, dirt road through a small maturing forest until I broke out into the open plains of the wildlife refuge. I crossed a one-lane wooden bridge over Lake River, a funny name for a body of water. There's a nice self-help visitor center shortly after that where one can read about the wildlife and continue exploring the refuge.