USFWS · National wildlife refuge · North Carolina, Virginia

Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge

Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1960 to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl, primarily the greater snow goose. It is located almost entirely on Knotts Island in the Currituck Sound between Back Bay in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the open sound in North Carolina. Most of the refuge lies within North Carolina but some of it is in Virginia. The refuge is primarily made up of marsh habitat. This area has long been recognized for supporting significant migratory waterfowl populations and sport fishery resources, and is part of the Charles Kuralt Trail.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge8,735 acresUSFWSNCVA
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StatesNorth Carolina, Virginia
Size8,735 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 4
Center point36.5255, -75.9574
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10)

Boundary map

2 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.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
Part of Colonial National Historical Park · 25 mi
Cape Henry Memorial Part of Colonial National Historical Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 7 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge?

8,735 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 Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge in?

The boundary crosses North Carolina and Virginia.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 36.526, -75.957. Cape Henry Memorial Part of Colonial National Historical Park is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 10 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge?

Cape Henry Memorial Part of Colonial National Historical Park (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge?

7 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Currituck County Courthouse and Jail and Walker, Wilson, House and Walker-Snowden Store.

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: Mackay Island 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.