Price Lake Road - Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge

Price Lake Road on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge is a 6.5-mile drive into a rich assemblage of marshlands, pools, and canals teeming with wildlife. The northern third of the driving loop is dominated by freshwater marsh, while the rest traverses a brackish Spartina grass marsh. The combination of both fresh and brackish marshes, along with open water pools and shrub-scrub-lined canals, make for excellent birding. That’s why 175 bird species have been recorded along Price Lake Road.

In summer, look for Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling-ducks, Mottled Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Gallinule, Wilson's Plover, Black-necked Stilt, Marsh Wren, and Common Yellowthroat, together with a plethora of wading bird species. 

After 2.5 miles, park and climb the observation tower to study marsh birds near and far. 

In winter and early spring, the large pools and canals are filled with many species of ducks such as Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, and Blue-winged Teal. Twenty species of geese, ducks, and scoters have been recorded here. These open lands and waters are highly attractive to raptors as well. Fifteen species of hawks, falcons and others have been recorded here–most heavily during the fall, winter, and spring months.

Thirty-two species of plovers, sandpipers, and other shorebirds have been recorded here on a near-year-round basis, including hard-to-find species such as Piping Plover and Hudsonian Godwit in April. During spring, summer, and fall, watch out for alligators, which abound in the main canals bordering the drive. 

This is an isolated site. The only amenities include occasional gravel parking/pull-offs and porta-potties. The site is open to the public between March 1 and December 1.