Alert
Several of the refuge's units sustained damages from Hurricane Sandy. Wildlife habitat and visitor use facilities were impacted at Calf Island, the Norwalk Islands, Great Meadows, Outer Island, Falkner Island and at Salt Meadow. To find out the open/closed status of refuge units, call 860-399-2513 for updates.
Hurricane Sandy DamageAbout the NWRS
The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants.
Learn more about the NWRS
The Refuge
There activities year-round at Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge including wildlife observation, photography, environmental education and hunting. Visit the Visitor Activities page to learn more.
Visitor Activities
The 10 units of Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge include a variety of habitats from grassy upland to tidal salt marsh. Though many refuge units are small in acreage, their importance to wildlife, especially migratory birds, is enormous.
Learn more about the units that make up the refuge.
Did you know that there is a native cactus in Connecticut? Yes, Opuntia humifusa or the prickly-pear grows in all eastern states except Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Although it is rare and listed as a species of special concern in the state, you can find it on several units of the Stewart B. McKinney NWR.
Learn more
Page Photo Credits — All photos courtesy of USFWS unless otherwise noted.
Last Updated: Mar 18, 2013