Photo by Earl West, Jr.
Welcome to our virtual tour of Bombay Hook National Wildlife refuge. You are invited to take the tour and learn about points of interest on the refuge. We hope this tour will introduce you to Bombay Hook and prepare you for your next visit.
The tour follows the refuge public tour route, the dirt-packed roadway through Bombay Hook. It is a twelve mile round trip that passes through many of the refuge habitats. Visitors may drive, walk or bicycle the tour route. Along the way are five walking trails; three of the trails lead to 30 foot observation towers that overlook freshwater impoundments.
Each of the eleven 'stops' on the virtual tour is marked on the map by a red circle. Move your mouse over a circle to open a window; each point of interest is described in a paragraph or two and shown in a photograph. To close the window, simply move your mouse off the circle.
Here, then, is our tour itinerary:
| Stop | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Refuge entrance | A brief introduction to Bombay Hook NWR. |
| 2 | Refuge Headquarters | Houses USFWS staff, Visitor Center, Refuge Store, public restroom facililties |
| 3 | Raymond Pool | First of the four freshwater impoundments on the refuge. |
| 4 | Boardwalk Trail | One-half mile round trip through freshwater pond, brackish pond, woodland and salt marsh habitats. |
| 5 | Shearness Pool | Largest of Bombay Hook's freshwater impoundments. |
| 6 | Tidal salt marsh | Predominant refuge habitat; most valuable wildlife habitat in Delaware. |
| 7 | Parson Point Trail | One mile round trip through a hardwood forest. |
| 8 | Bear Swamp Trail | Short loop through hardwood forest adjacent to freshwater impoundment. |
| 9 | Bear Swamp Pool | The third freshwater impoundment on the refuge. |
| 10 | Finis Pool | The last freshwater impoundment on the refuge. |
| 11 | Allee House | Eighteenth century farmhouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
When you're ready to begin, click the link below; the tour map will open in a new window. Maximize the window, if necessary, and scroll down the page.
We hope you find the tour to be entertaining and informative. Click here to start the tour.