Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on the Nisqually River Delta near Puget Sound in northeastern Thurston County, Washington and northwestern Pierce County, Washington. The refuge is located just off Interstate 5, between the cities of Tacoma and Olympia.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 6,095 acres |
| FWS region | Region 1 |
| Center point | 47.09° N, 122.72° W |
| Night sky | Some glow on the horizon (Black Marble reading 73) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedLynx Pile Rx - North
46 mi from the center point · 16 acres
- WildfireGarda Falls
48 mi from the center point · 308 acres · 0% contained
- PrescribedHorse Piles Rx - North
48 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 14.8 miFort Nisqually Factor's House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.3 miDelphi School ↗Olympia, WA
- 0.4 miNisqually School ↗Olympia, WA
- 0.4 miFort Nisqually Site ↗Dupont, WA
- 1.2 miBlack Lake School ↗Olympia, WA
- 3.2 miUnion Cemetery--Pioneer Calvary Cemetery ↗Tumwater, WA
- 3.2 miUnion Mills Superintendent's House ↗Olympia, WA
- 3.3 miAnderson Island School ↗Anderson Island, WA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Washington
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge?
6,095 acres.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge in?
Washington.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 47.092° N, 122.715° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Lynx Pile Rx - North at 46 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge?
The National Register has 163 listings within 15 miles, including Fort Nisqually Factor's House and Delphi School.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Photograph: the image Wikidata records for this refuge (Q3492331), the item linked to its Wikipedia article. Author and license come from the file page on Wikimedia Commons.
- Description: Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.