Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Virginia is located in the independent city of Virginia Beach. Established in 1938 in an isolated portion of Princess Anne County, it is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The 8,000 acre (32 km²) fresh water refuge borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Back Bay on the west. The northern edge of North Carolina's Outer Banks is located immediately to the south. The refuge's barrier islands feature large sand dunes, maritime forests, fresh water marshes, ponds, ocean beach, and large impoundments for wintering wildfowl. The majority of refuge marshlands are on islands contained within the waters of Back Bay. It is considered by conservationists to be an important link along the Atlantic Flyway for migratory birds such snow geese.

The refuge adjoins Virginia's False Cape State Park. It is accessed from the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach, the southernmost area of development on the Atlantic Coast of Virginia.

External links

• Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge homepage
• site to view or download a copy of the Refuge Brochure (PDF document in Adobe Acrobat format)