Pacific Islands Heritage Marine
Honolulu, HI 96850-5000
Plan Your Visit
Due to its remote location, the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument is not easy to access and most areas are closed for public use; but anyone online can visit the wonders of Palmyra Atoll virtually
Public access is permitted at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge through a a Special Use Permit.
Visitation to Palmyra Atoll is self-limiting due to the very high expense of traveling to such a remote destination. The refuge is managed in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, who owns and operates the only airplane runway on Palmyra and a small research station. By boat the voyage is a five to seven day trip from Honolulu. There are several ways to gain access to the refuge, though certain rules apply. To learn more visit the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge homepage.
Related Documents
The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument covers more than 490,000 square miles within the central Pacific Ocean and encompasses seven islands and atolls that serve as National Wildlife Refuges for a variety of plants, seabirds, and marine life. Learn more about the National Wildlife Refuges hosted within the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument:
- Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
- Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge
- Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
- Wake Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
A majority of the National Wildlife Refuges within the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument are not open to the public and entry is only allowed through a Special Use Permit when the activity is deemed appropriate with purposes to the refuge establishment.
Public access is permitted at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge through a Special Use Permit.
Get Involved
You can support your national wildlife refuges by joining organizations such as the National Wildlife Refuge Association that actively supports and advocates for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Volunteer opportunities can also be found at volunteer.gov.
Our Partners
The Service is dedicated to working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance, fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Protection, conservation, and restoration of our planets species requires a team of partners working towards a similar goal. The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument is managed in partnership with NOAA while also working with agencies like The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Air Force and United States Geological Survey.
Services
About
The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument was established in 2009 and expanded in 2014 to encompass 490,000 square miles of open ocean and island habitats. It is managed in partnership by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA to protect entire ecosystems from coral reefs to deep seamounts. The monument serves as a safe haven for Central Pacific biodiversity and scientific discovery.