Occupying a peninsula between the Sakonnet River and Rhode Island sound, the 242 acre Sachuest Point National Wildlife refuge is a very popular site for the over 65,000 annual visitors each year.
The refuge sports a newly renovated visitor center, over 2.5 miles of nature trails, viewing platforms, and a number of Refuge volunteers present to help visitors and to help in management of the refuge.
Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge is renowned for its fantastic saltwater fishing, and the presence of the largest winter population of harlequin ducks on the East Coast.
Once a horse racing area, then a Naval communications site, and now a National Wildlife Refuge, the are is steeped in history. From saltmarsh and beach strand habitats to upland shrub dominated lands, the refuge supports over 200 bird species, with such notable occasional visitors such as the peregrine falcon, northern harrier, and the snowy owl.
Sachuest Point, along with the four other National Wildlife Refuges in the State, are administered by the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, headquartered in Charlestown, RI. The new Kettle Pond Visitor Center and headquarters located in Charlestown, RI,, celebrates the Sachuest Point Refuge and all of the other refuges in Rhode Island. This facility contains interactive exhibits, displays, a sales area, classrooms for special events, and knowledgeable people where visitors can come and explore the refuges and learn about the wildlife resources and coastal environments of each refuge.
Established in 1950, the Norman Bird Sanctuary is a non-profit wildlife refuge that plays a vital role in environmental education and "place-based science" in Rhode Island. The 325-acre refuge is the largest open space preserve in Newport County. It is home to over seven miles of hiking through diverse habitats as well as many special and educational events throughout the year.