Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge
Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the Oregon Coast. It is one of six National Wildlife Refuges in the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Located on Cape Meares, the refuge was established in 1938 to protect a remnant of coastal old-growth forest and the surrounding habitat used by breeding seabirds. The area provides a home for a threatened bird species, the marbled murrelets. Peregrine falcons, once at the brink of extinction, have nested here since 1987. The refuge, with the exception of the Oregon Coast Trail, was designated a Research Natural Area in 1987.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 143 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 1 |
| Center point | 45.4888, -123.9681 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7) |
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedNestucca Rx
22 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
- 0.2 miCape Meares Lighthouse ↗Tillamook, OR
- 1.5 miHerschell--Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel ↗Portland, OR
- 4.9 miUs Coast Guard Station--Tillamook Bay ↗Garibaldi, OR
- 5.8 miWilson River Bridge No. 01499 ↗Tillamook, OR
- 6.3 miUs Post Office ↗Tillamook, OR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge?
143 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 Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge in?
Oregon.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 45.489, -123.968. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Nestucca Rx at 22 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 7 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 Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge?
5 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Cape Meares Lighthouse and Herschell--Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel.
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: Cape Meares 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.