Features
Homeward Bound
Willapa is for the birds! Check the skies and shorelines for migrating birds - including shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors and songbirds.
Uncover refuge wildlife watching hotspots
Amphibians Abound
Numerous amphibians make their home in the refuge and it is a great time to view them. Look for newts and frogs on damp days.
Learn more about Refuge amphibians...
In the Mix
Ocean tides combine life-giving nourishment with nutrient-laden fresh waters, creating one of the most productive environments on earth.
Learn more about the estuary
Connect to Nature
Explore the story of a Refuge stream, told through structures and sculptures rather than words. Can't make it to the refuge - take a virtual tour!
Take the virtual tourAbout the Complex
The variety of habitats near the mouth of the Columbia River are home to a diversity of wildlife and three National Wildlife Refuges.
Willapa is managed as part of the Willapa Complex.
Learn more about the complex About 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
What's Happening at the Refuge
Here's your chance. Join the Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge...
Learn more...
Summer is upon us. Shorebirds return and baby ducklings or goslings are seen in large numbers. Summer flowers adorn the landscape. Salmon berries ripen and the hummingbirds frequent summer blooms feeding on insects and nectar. Fawns are visible too. Pollinators are in abundance. All of these things tell us that it is summer.
Uncover Summer
Fish passage barriers have been removed at Greenhead Slough!
Find out more information here
The Willapa Bay Estuary is a smorgesbord that attracts an abundance of wildlife to its shores.
Pull up a seat
This cup-sized shorebird is threatened by shrinking habitat. Find out why the Western snowy plover is in danger...
Learn more
Page Photo Credits — All photos courtesy of USFWS unless otherwise noted.
Last Updated: Sep 02, 2016