Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
The Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located where the Occoquan River meets the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Virginia, United States between Belmont Bay and Occoquan Bay. The 644-acre (2.61 km2) site, about half of which is wetlands, was a popular tourist spot known as Dawson Beach until the 1940s, after which it was used for military research by the U.S. Army's Harry Diamond Laboratories from the 1960s to the 1990s. When the land was purchased from the military, it was temporarily called the Marumsco National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was formally established and renamed in 1998, and is now managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Potomac River National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Virginia |
| Size | 630 acres |
| FWS region | Region 5 |
| Center point | 38.64° N, 77.24° W |
| Night sky | Bright skies nearby (Black Marble reading 163) |
Boundary map
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.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 3 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 6.4 miWoodlawn Plantation (Boundary Increase) ↗National Historic Landmark
- 13.7 miFord, President Gerald R., Jr., House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 14.1 miFranklin and Armfield Office ↗National Historic Landmark
- 14.2 miAlexandria Academy ↗National Historic Landmark
- 14.5 miChrist Church ↗National Historic Landmark
- 14.5 miStabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop ↗National Historic Landmark
- 14.6 miGadsby's Tavern ↗National Historic Landmark
- 1.2 miFairfax Arms ↗Colchester, VA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Virginia
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
630 acres.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in?
Virginia.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
The refuge page says whether camping is allowed here. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.644° N, 77.236° W. Prince William Forest Park is 9 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Which national parks are near Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
Prince William Forest Park (9 mi), Piscataway Park (9 mi) and Fort Washington Park (11 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
The National Register has 73 listings within 15 miles, including Woodlawn Plantation (Boundary Increase) and Ford, President Gerald R., Jr., House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Photograph: the image Wikidata records for this refuge (Q7075726), the item linked to its Wikipedia article. Author and license come from the file page on Wikimedia Commons.
- Description: Occoquan 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.