About Us

Established in 1944 to protect migratory birds, Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 7,921 acres of barrier islands, beaches, dunes, salt marshes, tidal flats, and coastal waters off Chatham, Massachusetts. The refuge is one of eight national wildlife refuges that comprise the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex. 

Stretching approximately eight miles from the elbow of Cape Cod, the refuge includes Morris Island and the offshore islands of North Monomoy, South Monomoy, and Minimoy. Monomoy provides critical nesting, feeding, and resting habitat for migratory birds along the Atlantic Flyway, including the federally threatened piping plover, roseate tern, and red knot. The refuge also supports important horseshoe crab spawning habitat and one of the largest gray seal populations along the Atlantic Coast.

Recognized for its exceptional ecological significance, Monomoy has several notable conservation distinctions:

• Common terns: Supports the largest nesting colony of common terns on the Atlantic seaboard, historically exceeding 13,000 nesting pairs.
• Piping plovers: The beaches of Monomoy and Chatham support one of New England's highest concentrations of nesting piping plovers.
• Horseshoe crabs: Provides important spawning habitat, with horseshoe crab eggs serving as a critical food source for migrating shorebirds.
• Gray seals: South Monomoy Island supports the largest gray seal haul-out site on the U.S. Atlantic Coast.
• Wilderness protection: Contains the only federally designated Wilderness Area in southern New England.
• International recognition: Designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA), a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) Site of Regional Importance, and a Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Wilderness Areas

Designated by Congress in 1970, the Monomoy Wilderness encompasses approximately 3,500 acres of the refuge, making it the only federally designated Wilderness Area in southern New England.

Despite its proximity to popular Cape Cod destinations, Monomoy preserves a remarkably wild coastal landscape shaped by shifting sands, tides, storms, and natural processes. Its beaches, dunes, wetlands, and surrounding waters provide essential habitat for migratory birds, horseshoe crabs, tiger beetles, and other coastal wildlife.

The Wilderness designation helps preserve the area's natural character while offering opportunities for solitude, wildlife observation, and primitive recreation in designated areas.

Learn more about Wilderness of the Northeast or Monomoy Wilderness through Wilderness Connect. 

Our Mission

Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1944 under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act:

“…for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for other management purpose, for migratory birds.” — 16 U.S.C. § 715d

The refuge was originally recognized for its exceptional shorebird habitat, waterfowl populations, and productive coastal ecosystems. These natural resources helped establish the refuge's boundaries and continue to guide its conservation mission.

In 1970, Congress designated portions of Monomoy as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, expanding the refuge's responsibilities to include protecting wilderness character and values.

Today, Monomoy's mission focuses on conserving critical wildlife habitats, protecting threatened and endangered species, preserving wilderness character, and providing compatible opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation, education, and scientific research.

Through partnerships, habitat management, and ongoing monitoring, the refuge works to protect its remarkable coastal ecosystems for future generations.

Our History

Monomoy lies within the ancestral homelands of the Wampanoag people, whose connections to the region's coastal lands and waters extend back thousands of years.

The islands have a rich maritime history, including fishing communities, seasonal settlements, shipwrecks, and U.S. Coast Guard lifesaving operations. Historic sites on South Monomoy include the former Whitewash Village and the Monomoy Point Light Station, first established in 1823.

The light station, which includes the lighthouse, keeper's house, and oil house, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Established as a national wildlife refuge in 1944, Monomoy has since become an important sanctuary for coastal wildlife and a nationally recognized example of wilderness conservation. Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to protect the refuge's natural and cultural resources while balancing wildlife conservation with compatible public recreation.