15. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Timeless Landscapes

COVID-19 UPDATES:

• The Blackwater Visitor Center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10am to 4pm.
• The Wildlife Drive and refuge trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

The forests, marshes, and waterways that characterize the 30,000-acre refuge are largely unchanged from the time that Harriet Tubman lived and worked in Dorchester County. The refuge is situated halfway between where she spent portions of her childhood on Edward Brodess’ farm near Bucktown and the plantation where her father labored and where she was born at Peter’s Neck. Knowledge of the terrain was vital to survival while hiding and trying to flee.

Tubman and others had to successfully navigate the land and waterways, trap and forage for food, and hide from their pursuers. Fleeing slaves often lacked proper clothing to protect them from the elements and they suffered from weather extremes and insects, in addition to the terror of drowning or being caught. Though Harriet Tubman is not known to have liberated others from this area, several escapes did occur within the refuge boundaries.

The Blackwater Visitor Center is open 10am to 4pm, Tuesday through Sunday; closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, visit fws.gov/blackwater, or call 410-228-2677.