USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Washington

Pierce National Wildlife Refuge

The Pierce National Wildlife Refuge is in southwest Washington within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It encompasses wetlands and uplands along the north shore of the Columbia River west of the town of North Bonneville. Refuge habitats include wetlands, Columbia River riparian corridor blocks, transitional woodlands from willows to cottonwood/ash to white oak to Douglas fir, improved pastures with some native grasses, and numerous creeks, seeps, and springs.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge386 acresUSFWSWA3 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
4fires
active
High Lava · 18 mi from the center · 2,899 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateWashington
Size386 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 1
Center point45.6309, -121.9999
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11)

Boundary map

2 outlines

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.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 3 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 2.8 mi
Eagle Creek Overlook Grp Site
Reservable1 site
FS · 3 mi
Eagle Creek Campground
Reservable17 sites
FS · 7.8 mi
Herman Creek Campground/Horse Camp
ReservableOR

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Fire nearby

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

    18 mi from the center point · 2,899 acres · 60% contained

  • Wildfire
    The Narrows

    34 mi from the center point · 305 acres · 98% contained

  • Wildfire
    Grasshopper

    35 mi from the center point · 93,996 acres · 98% contained

  • Wildfire
    Austin

    42 mi from the center point · 12,881 acres · 87% contained

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 · 7 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Pierce National Wildlife Refuge?

386 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 Pierce National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Pierce National Wildlife Refuge in?

Washington.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Pierce National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Eagle Creek Overlook Grp Site, 2.8 miles out. 3 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Pierce National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 45.631, -122.000. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Pierce National Wildlife Refuge right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest High Lava at 18 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Pierce National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 11 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 Pierce National Wildlife Refuge?

7 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Bonneville Dam Historic District (Boundary Increase) and Thompson, Clark, 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: Pierce 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.