Coronavirus (COVID-19) Notice
Although most refuge lands and outdoor spaces have remained open for the public to enjoy, we encourage you to:

  • Check local conditions on this website and call ahead for current information
  • Follow current CDC safe practices by maintaining a safe distance between yourself and other groups
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
  • Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
  • Most importantly, stay home if you feel sick


Features

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    Photo Galleries

    Check out some fantastic images taken by local photographers, Ron LeValley, Andrea Pickart & David F. Thomson

    Refuge Galleries

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    Visitor Center

    The visitor center is a great place to stop and gather information before taking advantage of all of Humboldt Bay's visitor activities.

    Learn More About the Visitor Center

  • Ma-le'l Dunes.

    Ma-le'l and Lanphere Dunes

    Experience a diverse and dynamic coastal landscape of forests and salt marshes, sand dunes and beaches.

    Dunes Restoration

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    Saltmarsh

    Humboldt Bay saltmarsh habitat has decreased by 90 percent. Fortunately, the Refuge is making it a priority to restore this unique habitat.

    Spartina Invasion and Management

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    Freshwater Wetlands

    Humboldt Bay freshwater wetlands attract hundreds of species of migratory and resident birds.

    Wetland Management

News

Waterfowl Hunting

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Learn more about waterfowl hunting at the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Hunting

Birds Love Humboldt!

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Migratory Birds descend upon Humboldt Bay year round as they migrate from chilly northern breeding grounds to warmer wintering areas. These birds use the productive Refuge habitats ranging from freshwater wetlands to sandy forested dunes.

Learn More About Humboldt's Migrant Birds

Combating Invasive Spartina

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Historically the Humboldt Bay area had approximately 9,000 acres of valuable saltmarsh habitat. Because of levee construction in the early 1900's, which inhibited saltwater intrusion into historic marshes, salt marshes began to disappear, and now only 900 acres remain. The remaining acres are now being invaded by a robust grass known as Spartina. If left untreated, Spartina can take over an entire saltmarsh, completely eradicating all native species and becoming a monoculture. Through restoration work, the Refuge is combating the Spartina invasion to protect Humboldt's remaining saltmarsh habitat.

Learn How the Refuge is Controlling and Reversing Spartina Invasion

Humboldt Dune Restoration

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The Refuge’s Lanphere Dunes Unit is home to the first dune restoration project on the west coast. Restoration began in the 1980s with early experiments to control invasive European beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria). By the early 1990s The Nature Conservancy (the past owner) began a large-scale mechanical eradication project that took 6 years to complete. This project became a template for dune restoration projects throughout the west coast and beyond. Most importantly, it demonstrated that by removing over-stabilizing beachgrass and other invasive plants, essential dune processes were restored, fostering the recovery of the ecosystem. Since that time, dune restoration has continued to evolve and expand. On our local dunes, over 7 miles of coastline have been restored in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, and plans are in the works that will more than double this number.

Click Here for More Details About Humboldt Dune Resoration
Featured Stories

Climate Research:Humboldt Coastal Resilience Project

The beach and dunes of Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge are at the vanguard of sea level rise and other climate impacts. The foredune is an important feature that buffers the effects of extreme storms, and the entire dune system protects the estuarine systems behind it. UFSWS and its partners have posed the question of what our dunes will do in response to sea level rise and extreme events, and what measures we can take to increase resiliency. To answer these questions, the refuge has engaged in a collaborative, six-year research project known as the Humboldt Coastal Resilience Project (formerly, Climate Ready Project). The project has been funded by the State Coastal Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, and the Ocean Protection Council. Geographically the project spans the Eureka littoral cell. A littoral cell is a stretch of coastline characterized by a closed sediment circulation cell, i.e. sediment does not enter or leave the cell. The Eureka littoral cell stretches from Trinidad to Centerville beach.

Learn more

About the Complex

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Read more about the complex
About the NWRS

National Wildlife Refuge System

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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
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