USFWS · Maryland

Patuxent Research Refuge

The Patuxent Research Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, established in 1936 by executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is the only National Wildlife Refuge in the country established to support wildlife research. With land surrounding the Patuxent and Little Patuxent Rivers between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, the refuge has grown from the original 2,670 acres (10.8 km2) to its present size of over 12,800 acres (52 km2) and encompasses land formerly managed by the Departments of Agriculture and Defense. Throughout decades of change, Patuxent's mission of conserving and protecting the nation's wildlife and habitat through research and wildlife management techniques has remained virtually unchanged.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge12,952 acresUSFWSMD2 campgrounds within 10 mi
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Patuxent Research Refuge
Photo by F Delventhal from Outside Washington, D.C., US, licensed CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons.

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateMaryland
Size12,952 acres
FWS regionRegion 5
Center point39.06° N, 76.78° W
Night skyNoticeable light pollution (Black Marble reading 142)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Patuxent Research Refuge30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 32.7°F averageFebruary: 35.0°F averageMarch: 43.0°F averageApril: 53.5°F averageMay: 63.0°F averageJune: 71.8°F averageJuly: 77.3°F averageAugust: 75.9°F averageSeptember: 68.4°F averageOctober: 55.9°F averageNovember: 45.0°F averageDecember: 37.4°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Glenn Dale Bell Stn, 6 miles from the center point at 150 feet, station USC00183675 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

None of the 2 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

NPS · 4.2 mi
Greenbelt Campground
Reservable173 sites
NPS · 4.5 mi
Greenbelt Park Ranger Station
First-comeMD

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
Parkway · 2 mi
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Park · 4 mi
Greenbelt Park
Park Unit · 9 mi
Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens
Park Unit · 11 mi
Fort Dupont Park
Park Unit · 12 mi
Civil War Defenses of Washington
Park · 12 mi
Anacostia Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 719 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for Maryland

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Patuxent Research Refuge?

12,952 acres.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Patuxent Research Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Patuxent Research Refuge in?

Maryland.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Patuxent Research Refuge?

The refuge page says whether camping is allowed here. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Patuxent Research Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 39.057° N, 76.782° W. Baltimore-Washington Parkway is 2 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Which national parks are near Patuxent Research Refuge?

Baltimore-Washington Parkway (2 mi), Greenbelt Park (4 mi) and Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens (9 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Patuxent Research Refuge?

The National Register has 719 listings within 15 miles, including Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility and Bollman Suspension and Trussed Bridge.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Photograph: the image Wikidata records for this refuge (Q7148778), the item linked to its Wikipedia article. Author and license come from the file page on Wikimedia Commons.
  • Description: Patuxent Research Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.