Coronavirus (COVID-19) Notice
Although most refuge lands and outdoor spaces have remained open for the public to enjoy, we ask that you recreate responsibly.

  • Check alerts and local conditions on this website and call ahead for current information. Operations vary based on local public health conditions.
  • Consistent with CDC recommendations, all visitors (age 2 and older), who are fully vaccinated are required to wear a mask inside of federal buildings in areas of substantial or high community transmission.. All visitors who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces.
  • Most importantly, stay home if you feel sick and continue to watch for symptoms of COVID-19 and follow CDC guidance on how to protect yourself and others.


Features

  • HOMEPAGE Rotator BigSpruce 218x116

    Our Ancient, Massive Spruce

    The old-growth forest of Cape Meares NWR is home to two superlative spruces: Oregon's largest Sitka Spruce and the "Octopus" tree.

    Learn more about these mammoth trees

  • HOMEPAGE Rotator Murre by Ram 218x116

    Uncommonly Marvelous

    Dashing and dapper, the Common Murre lives into its thirties and "flies" underwater, sometimes to 300 feet or more.

    Though not penguins, they're just as cool

  • HOMEPAGE Rotator Douglas by Ram 218x116

    Images from a Timeless Cape

    Browse our wildlife gallery to catch a glimpse of the multitudes contained within an old-growth coastal headland.

    Go to the gallery

  • HOMEPAGE Rotator Peregrine 218x116

    A Predator Nonpareil

    Speed. Power. Fearlessness. The Peregrine Falcon has it all. Perched atop rugged sea stacks, these hunters rule the coast with impunity.

    Meet the world's fastest animal

News

Learn About Seabirds

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Meet U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteers at Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint every weekend in summer and get close-up views of nesting seabirds.

Check out our seabirds

Our Ancient, Massive Spruce

HOMEPAGE RightColumn Sitka by RL 60x100

The old-growth forest of Cape Meares NWR is home to two superlative spruces: Oregon's largest Sitka Spruce and the "Octopus" tree. This species is one of only a handful worldwide that reach 300 feet in height.

Learn more about these mammoth trees

Lions of the Sea

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Steller Sea Lions exemplify the leonine aspect of their name. Roaring rather than barking, possessing a thick golden pelage reminiscent of a mane, these pinnipeds spend the lion's share of their time offshore, or hauled out on remote, unpopulated beaches.

Get acquainted with the world's largest eared seal
Featured Stories

Have Eagles no Murre-cy?

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As Oregon's Bald Eagles prosper, nesting Common Murres take a beating. How does a resurgent raptor spell reproductive disaster for a colonial seabird? It's not as cut-and-dried as you might think.

Get the grisly details

About the Complex

Oregon Coastal Refuge Complex

Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Oregon Coastal 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
Follow NWRS Online