Fodor's Expert Review Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge

Spring brings opportunities to view the male American woodcock's mating ritual at this 400-acre sanctuary, but bird-watchers flock here year-round to commune with nature among 9 miles of trails and diverse upland and wetland habitats, including grasslands, shrublands, wooded swamps, and freshwater ponds. There's an abandoned naval air station on Ninigret Pond, the state's largest coastal salt pond and a fine place to watch the sunset. Hiking trails are closed in January, when bow hunters are allowed to cull white-tailed deer. Explore an impressive collection of wildlife and natural history displays at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center on the other side of U.S. 1 on Bend Road.