USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Mississippi, Alabama

Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1992 under the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 to protect one of the largest expanses of undisturbed pine savanna habitats in the Gulf Coastal Plain region. The refuge is located near Grand Bay, Alabama in Mobile County, Alabama and Jackson County, Mississippi, and when complete will encompass over 32,000 acres (130 km2). The refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge system. The Refuge Complex Manager also administers the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Access to refuge lands is limited, but is available mostly on the Mississippi side and by boat.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge10,315 acresUSFWSMSAL
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
1fire
active
Hurricane · 34 mi from the center · 16 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StatesMississippi, Alabama
Size10,315 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 4
Center point30.4152, -88.4170
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 32)

Boundary map

27 outlines

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

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Hurricane

    34 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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 43 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge?

10,315 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 Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge in?

The boundary crosses Mississippi and Alabama.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 30.415, -88.417. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Hurricane at 34 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 32 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge?

43 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Cudabac--Gantt House and Griffin 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: Grand Bay 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.