Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a study in transition. Here, the waterlogged wet pine savannas give way to the marshes, freshwater streams, and bayous of the Escatawpa River system. Slowly these fresh water systems system wind their way toward the Mississippi Sound and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. Neither fresh nor salt, the brackish waters and marshes found throughout much of the refuge serve as a home and nursery to numerous different fish, fowl, and flora.

Visit Us

Visitors to Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) are encouraged to begin their tour at the Grand Bay Coastal Resources Center’s interpretive center. Here visitors will learn about the diverse habitats located at Grand Bay NWR and the flora and fauna that make this place home.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      A male painted bunting at the refuge.

      Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge is located in coastal Mississippi and Alabama. The refuge was established in 1992 to help protect one of the largest remaining expanses of Gulf Coast wet pine savanna habitat. With only 3% of wet pine savanna remaining across its originally range, it is considered an endangered habitat.

      The 10,188 acre refuge partially overlays the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Together, they protect nearly 18,000 acres of relatively undisturbed wildlife habitat.

      In addition to the wet pine savanna, other refuge habitats include maritime forest, tidal and non-tidal wetlands, salt marshes, salt pans, bays and bayous. These numerous and  varying habitats provide a unique opportunity to view the diverse numbers of species that make their home here.

      Our Species

      A large reptile basking in the sun on a log over still water surrounded by green vegetation

      The American alligator is a large, semi-aquatic, armored reptile that is related to crocodiles. Their body alone ranges from 6 - 14 feet long. Almost black in color, the it has prominent eyes and nostrils with coarse scales over the entire body. It has a large, long head with visible upper teeth...

      FWS Focus
      A baby tortoise perches in grass and looks at the camera.

      The gopher tortoise is a large, (shell 15 to 37 centimeters or 5.9 to 14.6 inches long) dark-brown to grayish-black terrestrial turtle with elephantine hind feet, shovel-like forefeet, and a gular projection beneath the head on the yellowish, hingeless plastron or undershell (Ernst and Barbour...

      FWS Focus

      Get Involved

      Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. National wildlife refuges provide many opportunities for you to help your community and fish and wildlife by doing what you love.



      National wildlife refuges partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of urban and coastal communities to make a lasting difference.



      Find out how you can help make American lands healthier and communities stronger while doing something personally satisfying.