About Us
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1944 to provide habitat for migratory birds. In 1970, the Monomoy Wilderness was established, which today covers 3,500 acres of the Refuge's 7,921 total acres.
Sand stretches for eight miles off the elbow of Cape Cod, forming the barrier islands of Minimoy, North Monomoy, and South Monomoy, along with numerous islets and shoals. These unique and ephemeral offshore coastal ecosystems make up the heart of Monomoy NWR. The refuge also includes a 40-acre unit attached to the mainland- the Morris Island unit, located in the town of Chatham, MA. Visitors can park at the parking lot on Wikis Way, where they can access a trail system that crosses dunes and beach.
Our Conservation Priorities:
- To protect habitats critical to migratory shorebirds for resting, nesting, and feeding
- To conserve spawning sites for horseshoe crabs
- To preserve places for gray seals to rest, give birth, and feed their pups
- With nearly half of the refuge designated as Wilderness, we also seek to preserve the characteristics which are unique to wilderness areas
Monomoy NWR protects a variety of different coastal habitats- ocean, barrier beach, intertidal flats, salt and freshwater marshes, dunes, and freshwater ponds. Specific wildlife which use the refuge include: the federally endangered Piping Plover, Roseate Tern, and Red Knot. At least 25 species of seabird, shorebird, waterfowl, and colonial waterbird call the refuge home at some point during their annual cycle. The refuge also supports the largest nesting colony of Common Terns on the Atlantic seaboard, which exceeded 17,000 pairs in 2022. Between 30,000-50,000 seals rely on the refuge's lands and waters.
Monomoy NWR Conservation Claims To Fame:
- The beaches of Monomoy and Chatham have the highest concentration of nesting Piping Plovers in New England.
- The Refuge has among the highest concentrations of spawning horseshoe crabs in the state, whose eggs are a vital food resource for thousands of shorebirds.
- South Monomoy Island contains the largest gray seal haul-out site on the U.S. Atlantic Coast.
- Monomoy Wilderness is the only federally designated Wilderness Area in Southern New England.
- The refuge is designated as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) regional site, an Important Bird Area (IBA), and a Marine Protected Area (MPA).
- Monomoy Point Light Station and keeper’s house, located on South Monomoy Island, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wilderness Areas
Monomoy Wilderness was established in 1970. Based on surveys conducted in the year 2000 and taking into account the constantly changing dynamic landscape of these offshore barrier islands, the Wilderness area is estimated to be 3,500 acres. This acreage does not include historic areas near the lighthouse and remnants of 2 villages which existed 90 years ago on South Monomoy Island.
Despite its close proximity to highly popular tourist destinations on Cape Cod, Monomoy Wilderness continues to fulfill the defining characteristics of wilderness- solitude, intact ecosystems, diverse wildlife, and the opportunity to experience natural places untrammeled by modern human activity.
For more information about Monomoy Wilderness and other wilderness areas visit Wilderness Connect.
Our Mission
The Service established Monomoy NWR in 1944 for the following purpose:
“… for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for other management purpose, for migratory birds” — Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. § 715d)
Throughout the initial designation process for the refuge, the Monomoy area was recognized as an “outstanding waterfowl area,” as “one of the finest shorebird beaches in North America” (Salyer 1938) and for the eelgrass (Zostera spp.) beds in shoal waters northwest of Inward Point on the Common Flats (Griffith 1938) that were described as “dense” beds in 1929 (Hotchkiss and Ekvall 1929). The biological values of this area helped define the refuge boundary.
In 1970, Congress designated approximately 2,600 acres of land as wilderness to become part of the NWPS, thereby preserving the wilderness character of the Monomoy Islands.
“In accordance with … the Wilderness Act…certain lands in the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, Massachusetts, which comprise about two thousand six hundred acres but excepting and excluding therefrom two tracts of land containing approximately ninety and one hundred and seventy acres, respectively and which are depicted on a map entitled “Monomoy Wilderness— Proposed” and dated August 1970, which shall be known as the Monomoy Wilderness”—an Act to Designate Certain Lands as Wilderness (Public Law 91-504, 16 U.S.C. § 1132(c)).
With the designation of national wilderness at Monomoy NWR, the original establishing refuge purpose of “management and protection of migratory birds,” was expanded to include “management and protection of wilderness character and values.”
Vision Statement:
Extending from the elbow of Cape Cod, Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge consists of an assembly of barrier beaches that includes some of New England’s last remaining wild seacoast. This dynamic wilderness system of ocean, intertidal flats, salt and freshwater marshes, dunes and freshwater ponds, provides vital habitat for a vast array of diverse species. Monomoy NWR is world-renowned for its range of seasonal wildlife inhabitants. Seabirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, land birds, horseshoe crabs, and seals rely upon the refuge for survival during various times of the year. Given the vital role that these lands and waters play in the survival of so many endangered, threatened, and special species, wildlife conservation and management will always be our first priority at Monomoy NWR.
The unique area that is Cape Cod allows us to reach large numbers of visitors from all over the world. Visitors will learn about the rich history of the refuge, experience unique recreational opportunities, view wildlife in a natural setting, and learn about the positive and negative impacts of human interactions with the refuge. Visitors will understand and appreciate how we manage the refuge, its habitats, and wildlife species. We will ensure that the number of visitors on the refuge is appropriate so as not to detract from a rich wilderness and wildlife experience.
As a regional and national role model, the refuge will provide scientific and technical leadership for wildlife and resource management that is adaptable to changing conditions. Talented, knowledgeable staff will continue to develop and foster partnerships with local, regional, national, and international organizations to assist in the management of Monomoy NWR and inform the conservation community of the work that we do. Monomoy NWR will continue to play a crucial role in the National Wildlife Refuge System by protecting this critical nesting, feeding, and resting area for migratory birds along the Atlantic Coast.
Our History
Monomoy NWR contains a variety of cultural resources dating as far back as Paleo-Indian cultures. The lands that make up the refuge are within the indigenous homelands of the Wampanoag people, also known as the People of First Light. They inhabited much of present day Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island.
In more recent times, South Monomoy Island was home to the historic Whitewash Village, seasonal cottages and camps, shipwrecks, and U.S. Coast Guard lifesaving stations. The most well known cultural resource on refuge lands is the Monomoy Point Light Station, which includes the lighthouse, keeper’s house, and small oil house (located on South Monomoy). First built in 1823, this site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The refuge is bounded by mean low water (an average of low tide levels) to the east, and by a fixed boundary that was set when the refuge was established. This website includes a statement regarding the refuge boundary.
Other Facilities in this Complex
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Situated along the Atlantic Flyway in Massachusetts, the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex is comprised of eight ecologically diverse refuges. The eight individual refuges include inland and coastal wetlands, forests, grasslands, and barrier beaches that provide important habitat for migratory birds, mammals, plants, reptiles and amphibians.
Complex headquarters is located at Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, 680 Hudson Road, Sudbury, MA, 01776. Phone: (978) 443-4661.
