The final 700 feet of the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail will soon be closed as waterfowl hunting season opens. Staff at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge will close the short portion of the trail Oct. 15–19 and Oct. 22–Jan. 29.
The closure is designed to protect the safety of visitors on a portion of the boardwalk trail near traditional waterfowl hunt areas maintained by the refuge and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said a news release from the refuge.
The closure of the last 700 feet of the 1-mile boardwalk trail includes the Puget Sound Viewing Platform at the end of the boardwalk. Most of the trail, 0.92 miles, will remain open throughout the hunting season.
The closure will create a 750 foot buffer between boardwalk visitors and waterfowl hunting areas.
Refuge staffers point out that visitors can still hike the 1-mile Twin Barns Loop Trail and 1.4 miles of the Nisqually Estuary Trail. The round trip distance from the visitor center to the seasonal closure on the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail and back is 3.84 miles. Refuge trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset. The visitor center is open Wednesday-Sunday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
For more information on the refuge, go to fws.gov/nisqually.
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