Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge
The Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico. The island of Desecheo is located 14 miles (23 km) west of Puerto Rico and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the north and the Caribbean Sea on the south. The refuge encompasses the entire rugged island. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Puerto Rico |
| Size | 316 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 4 |
| Center point | 18.3840, -67.4807 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 6) |
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
- WildfirePower Storm
41 mi from the center point · 16 acres
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
- 13.4 miFaro di Punta Higuero ↗Rincon, PR
- 13.5 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge?
316 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 Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge in?
Puerto Rico.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 18.384, -67.481. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Power Storm at 41 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 6 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 Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge?
2 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Faro di Punta Higuero and Boiling Nuclear Superheater (bonus) Reactor Facility.
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: Desecheo 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.