USFWS · National wildlife refuge · West Virginia

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge (CVNWR) in Tucker County, West Virginia, was the 500th National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) to be established in the United States. The refuge preserves a moist valley with unique wetlands and uplands at a relatively high elevation in the Allegheny Mountains. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge19,024 acresUSFWSWV1 campground within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateWest Virginia
Size19,024 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 5
Center point39.1035, -79.3862
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13)

Boundary map

5 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 3.8 mi
Red Creek Campground
First-comeWV

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 22 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge?

19,024 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in?

West Virginia.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Red Creek Campground, 3.8 miles out. 1 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 39.103, -79.386. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge?

22 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Meyer, Herman August, House and Cottrill Opera House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Canaan Valley 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.