Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a federally protected natural area located in the southeastern corner of the City of Virginia Beach, established in 1938 to protect and provide habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl. The refuge is part of the Atlantic Flyway, a migratory bird route that follows the East Coast of the United States. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge covers more than 9,200 acres of barrier island coastline, freshwater marsh, dunes, maritime forest, and agricultural fields, and it draws naturalists, photographers, hikers, and birdwatchers from across the region and beyond.

History and Establishment

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established on June 6, 1938, in the southeastern corner of the City of Virginia Beach — then known as Princess Anne County, before that jurisdiction consolidated into an independent city in 1963 — as a 4,589-acre refuge. A decline in waterfowl populations during the last half of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century was the driving factor behind the creation of many national wildlife refuges, including Back Bay. The Back Bay area was once known as a wildfowler's paradise, as evidenced by the dozens of hunt clubs that surrounded the bay at the turn of the 20th century.

The original 1938 Executive Order established Back Bay NWR "as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife." The land was acquired under both executive authority and provisions of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, which designated it for use as an inviolate sanctuary for migratory birds.

The federal refuge's origins date to 1937, when the Princess Anne Club, a hunt club, was condemned and its 3,113.52 acres acquired for public conservation use. The work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was integral to shaping the refuge's physical landscape. Part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program, the CCC worked throughout the early 1930s to stabilize the barrier island terrain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina by building brush fences and planting cane and bulrush to catch blowing sand. Later, wooden sand fences were installed and many dunes were planted with beach grass. These efforts protected the bayside flats and allowed freshwater marsh to become established.

In addition to the impoundment complex, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pursued a land acquisition program, beginning in the 1980s, to protect the watershed and improve wildlife habitat in the area immediately surrounding Back Bay. Over the decades, the refuge's acreage expanded significantly from its original 4,589-acre footprint to its current size of more than 9,200 acres.

Geography and Habitats

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge contains over 9,200 acres of marsh, beaches, dunes, woodlands, and farm fields. The primary unit of the wildlife refuge sits on a thin strip of barrier island coastline typical of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Back Bay to the west. The refuge encompasses seven distinct habitat types: ocean, beach, marsh, shrub-scrub, grassland, maritime forest, and freshwater bay. Each supports a different community of wildlife and plants, and together they make the refuge one of the most ecologically diverse protected areas on Virginia's coast.

Other areas of the refuge include islands in Back Bay and upland areas on the west bank of the bay, including a public kayak launch and fishing site at the end of Horn Point Road, open April through October. The southern part of the refuge includes an extensive impoundment complex. These managed water pools are visible to visitors traveling refuge trails on the way to adjacent False Cape State Park, which is accessible only by foot, bicycle, boat, kayak, or tram.

During the 20th century, Back Bay underwent significant ecological changes, shifting from a brackish system to an oligohaline one with salinity consistently below 5 parts per thousand. As water quality declined, concentrations of submerged aquatic vegetation also dropped. Without that vegetation, the largemouth bass fishery collapsed and waterfowl couldn't find adequate food resources. In response, refuge managers developed an impoundment complex now consisting of ten connected water pools whose levels can be raised or lowered to provide optimal habitat for the species using the refuge in a given season.

The trail system covers 2.7 miles and consists of seven interconnected trails providing opportunities to observe wildlife and vegetation across all seven habitat types.

Wildlife

Over 300 species of birds and dozens of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, insects, and fish have been documented at the wildlife refuge. Set aside by President Roosevelt in 1938 as a haven for migratory birds, this thin spit of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay offers some of the finest birdwatching on the Eastern Seaboard. Wildlife watchers have plenty to see year-round, but the refuge is at its most active in fall and winter, when migrating flocks of duck, goose, and swan species stop to rest and feed before continuing south.

Thousands of tundra swans, snow and Canada geese, and a large variety of ducks visit the refuge during the fall and winter migration. Refuge waterfowl populations typically peak during December and January. Other winter migrants include the rare LeConte's sparrow and the yellow-rumped warbler. Spring migration brings songbirds and shorebirds that fill the wetlands, shrubs, and woodland areas. The refuge also provides habitat for threatened and endangered species such as the loggerhead sea turtle, and for recently recovered species like the brown pelican and bald eagle.

Mammals are well represented throughout the refuge. River otters, white-tailed deer, raccoons, and bobcats all reside here. Numerous reptiles and amphibians rely on Back Bay NWR's varied habitats, including cottonmouths (water moccasins), which are seen frequently near wetland areas. Nutria (Myocastor coypus), an invasive species from South America, are also common in the refuge and are actively managed to limit their impact on native marsh vegetation.

The aquatic environment of Back Bay and its tributaries, including West Neck Creek, supports a range of fish species. Longnose gar, blue crabs, and jellyfish are among the species documented in the bay and its connecting waterways. Bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are known to tolerate brackish and freshwater environments and have been documented as far inland as the Potomac River and the Mississippi River system; their occasional presence in the tidal tributaries of Back Bay is consistent with their documented range in Mid-Atlantic coastal waters, though sightings in these specific waterways remain uncommon. The salinity of West Neck Creek and Back Bay can vary seasonally, influenced by southerly winds from North Carolina that push saltwater northward, making these waters periodically suitable for euryhaline species.

Established for migrating and wintering waterfowl, Back Bay NWR focuses on providing optimal feeding and resting habitats for birds. Outside of winter, the wetland pools provide habitat for shorebirds, wading birds, and a variety of reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. The refuge's mix of ocean beach, marsh, and forest makes it one of the more complex ecological systems under federal protection on the Virginia coast.

Recreation and Visitor Access

There are many opportunities for outdoor recreation at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors enjoy hiking, biking, wildlife observation and photography, kayaking, and both freshwater and surf fishing. The refuge provides over eight miles of scenic trails, a Visitor Center, interpretive programming, and, with advance scheduling, environmental education opportunities.

The refuge's trail network encompasses several named routes, each suited to different visitor interests. The Kuralt Trail is one in a system of trails at 11 national wildlife refuges and one national fish hatchery in the southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina region. That trail system is dedicated to Charles Kuralt, the radio and television host of On the Road, whose programming brought the beauty and character of national wildlife refuges to audiences across the country. Two trails lead through the dunes to the ocean beach. The Seaside Trail is adjacent to the parking area and the quickest route to the refuge beach, with a 0.25-mile walk through marsh, shrubby trees, and dunes.

Due to the refuge's protected status, swimming and sunbathing are prohibited on refuge lands. To protect seabird nesting and resting areas, the two longest hikes — the East and West Dike trails — are closed from November 1 through March 31. The Raptor, Kuralt, Seaside, and Dune Trails remain open year-round, as does the beach itself.

The refuge works with neighboring False Cape State Park to provide tram tours throughout the year. Tram tours begin at the wildlife refuge parking lot and travel through the refuge to reach the state park. After a brief stop at the park's Visitor Center, the tram continues to the site of the historic Wash Woods community. A one-mile, round-trip optional hike brings participants to the community cemetery and church steeple, all that remains of the settlement. Educational tram tours run from April 1 through October 31.

The refuge is open daily, half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. An entrance fee of $5.00 applies from April 1 through October 31, with free admission from November 1 through March 31. Pets are not allowed at any time of year, with the exception of service dogs.

Conservation and Community Partnership

The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society, located at 1324 Sandbridge Road in Virginia Beach, serves as the primary partner and Friends group of the refuge. The Society was formed in 2020 as an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System. Its purpose is to promote and support the refuge in its mission to conserve, protect, and improve natural resources through projects, advocacy, outreach, education, fundraising, diverse membership, and volunteerism.

Regular surveys of birds and vegetation provide information used to determine whether current management objectives are being met to benefit trust species. Refuge visitors can upload photographs from their phones at four designated locations, with those photographs contributing to scientific documentation of refuge habitats by automatically appearing in time-lapse videos available online.

In 2025 and 2026, the Back Bay NWR Society completed construction of a new outdoor classroom facility at the refuge, with funding raised through community donors, regional foundations, and corporate partners. The facility provides a dedicated on-site learning space for student groups and school programs, extending the refuge's conservation mission to younger audiences. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also pursued a land acquisition program, beginning in the 1980s, to protect the watershed and improve wildlife habitat in the area immediately surrounding Back Bay.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With more than 570 refuges spanning the country, this system protects iconic species and provides significant wildlife viewing opportunities nationwide. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge remains a key part of that system on the Virginia coast, balancing public access with the protection of one of the East Coast's most dynamic migratory bird corridors.

See Also

• False Cape State Park
• Sandbridge Beach
• Atlantic Flyway
• National Wildlife Refuge System
• Virginia Beach Natural Areas