This map identifies the locations of wildlife refuges across the United States.

At 144,000 square miles, the National Wildlife Refuge system is about the same size as the National Parks system and is claimed to be the world's largest and most diverse network of lands and waters dedicated to wildlife.

There are 511 refuges in the system, including representatives of every major type of habitat in the country, supporting at least 63 endangered species. Fishing and/or hunting is allowed at about half of the sites.  The USFWS also manages thousands of small wetlands and other special areas, and operates 66 fish hatcheries.

Eighty-four percent of the land that our country has designated for national wildlife refuges lies in Alaska.  Nevertheless, all of the other states have wildlife refuges, with the exception of West Virginia.

Click on the Fish and Wildlife Service's logo below to go to their National Wildlife Refuge System homepage.

Query the National Wildlife Refuge System Lands Database