Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 and contains over 9,250 acres within the Back Bay Watershed. It includes a thin strip of barrier island coastline typical of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Habitats include beach, dunes, woodlands, agricultural fields, and emergent freshwater marshes. The majority of refuge marshes are on islands within the waters of Back Bay.

Thousands of tundra swans, snow and Canada geese and a large variety of ducks visit the refuge during the fall-winter migration. Refuge waterfowl populations usually peak during December and January. The refuge also provides habitat for other wildlife, including such threatened and endangered species as the loggerhead sea turtle, piping plover and recently recovered species like the brown pelican and bald eagle.

Back Bay NWR provides over eight miles of scenic trails, a visitor contact station, interpretive programming and, with advance scheduling, group educational opportunities. We are located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, immediately south of Sandbridge beach at the southern end of Sandpiper Road.

Outdoor facilities are open daily dawn to dusk. The Visitor Contact Station hours are 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. weekdays, 9:00 AM - 4:00 P.M. weekends. The Visitor Contact Station is closed on Sundays, November through March and closed holidays, except Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.

Download the refuge brochure (pdf - 2.1MB)

Directions and Contact Info

From General Booth Blvd. turn east on Princess Anne Road. Continue to Sandbridge and turn right on Sandpiper Rd. Follow 4 miles; the Refuge is located at the end of Sandpiper Road.

Physical Address

4005 Sandpiper Road
Virginia Beach, VA
23456

Mailing Address

1324 Sandpiper Road
Virginia Beach, VA
23456

Phone: (757)301-7329