Located just 0.2 miles off I-16 at Exit 58, experience a breath of fresh air while hiking, birding, hunting, fishing and primitive camping at River Bend Wildlife Management Area in Dublin, Georgia. If it is nature in the raw you seek, River Bend WMA delivers with true seclusion, natural beauty, and wild creatures galore.
Purchase your hunting, fishing, and public lands passes and licenses online or call or stop by the Dublin Visitors Center located at exit 51 off I-16 for assistance (478-272-4002).
A Public Lands – Angler Pass is required for non-hunting activities such as fishing, hiking, or camping at River Bend Wildlife Management Area.
Hunting
Managed for seasonal hunting by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division, River Bend Wildlife Management Area hosts scheduled hunts for deer, turkey, hogs, small game, and waterfowl. Hunts are held thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset.
Fishing
Formed by a clear-water spring that flows up at the swamp’s edge, Troup’s Spring Lake provides ample stock of bass, bream, and other game fish. A paved boat-ramp allows easy access to the pond, as well as hiking trail access to Pugh’s Creek, which features pristine creek fishing conditions. They even offer free fishing days for Georgia residents in June and September with no license required!
Boating
A paved kayak and canoe ramp is available near Troup’s Spring Lake. Boating is available 24/7.
Birding
Bird watch anytime at River Bend. The Georgia Ornithological Society and the DNR maintain the South Tract habitat specifically to support the Swainson’s warbler, and this area has the largest known concentration in the state. Swainson’s warblers may be heard (but rarely seen) at cane thickets near stream crossings at various points along the trails.
Watch these interesting species sighted at River Bend:
- Swainson’s Warbler
- Prothonotary Warbler (aka Swamp Canary)
- Hooded Warbler
- Acadian Flycatcher
- Red-Eyed & Yellow-Throated Vireos
- Woodpeckers – Pileated, Red-Bellied, Red-Headed, Downy, Hairy, Sapsucker, Northern Flicker
- Brown-Headed Nuthatches
- Ruby-Crowned Kinglets
- Yellow-Billed Cuckoos
- Yellow-Breasted Chats
- Indigo Buntings
- Red-Shouldered Hawks
- American Kestrel
- Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher
- Barred Owl
More Fun
Other amenities near check station in North Tract include:
- Primitive camping area: Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. RVs are welcome anytime without reservations, as are tents and hammocks.
- Accessible restrooms with showers: Open to the public 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
- Archery range: Open to the public 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
- Hunt cleaning facilities
- Waterfowl impoundment area with boardwalk and scenic overlook maintained by Ducks Unlimited: Open to the public 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Directions:
For GPS/Map Apps use 1945 Hwy. 199 South, East Dublin, GA
From Dublin, take I-16 East to exit 58 (Hwy. 199). Turn south and go 0.2 miles. Road to check station is on the right.
