Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge

Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge, located in Plymouth Massachusetts, is one of eight national wildlife refuges that comprise the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The refuge is closed to all public uses.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      The refuge is part of the largest contiguous pitch pine scrub oak habitat area north of the Long Island Sound with 208 acres. This land, Patuxet (Plymouth) historically belonged to the Wampanoag Tribe. The refuge supports the federally endangered northern red-bellied cooter as well as other wildlife that depend upon the unique kettle ponds, shorelines, and upland habitats. The refuge managed cooperatively with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and is closed to all public uses.

      What We Do

      Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
      A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

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      is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species. 

      Our Species

      Massasoit is managed as a special place for the endangered northern red-bellied cooter and other species of conservation concern including turtles, migratory songbirds, rare moths and other pollinator species, and small mammals that rely on these natural communities.

      a turtle pokes its head out of a pond
      FWS Focus

      Projects and Research

      Research, monitoring, and recovery efforts for the endangered northern red-bellied cooter takes place at the refuge.