Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a 9,125-acre (37 km2) National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along 50 miles (80 km) of Maine's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring raised public awareness of the effects of DDT on migratory songbirds, and of other environmental issues.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Maine |
| Size | 5,749 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 5 |
| Center point | 43.4925, -70.3963 |
| Night sky | Noticeable light pollution (Black Marble reading 92) |
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
- PrescribedTnc W Branch 3 Rx
46 mi from the center point · 59 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
- 0 miMill House ↗Ogunquit, ME
- 0 mi
- 0.1 miVines, Richard, Monument ↗Biddeford, ME
- 0.1 miClock Farm ↗Kennebunkport, ME
- 0.1 miSpurwink Congregational Church ↗Cape Elizabeth, ME
- 0.1 miRock Rest ↗Kittery, ME
- 0.3 miTemple, The ↗Old Orchard Beach, ME
- 0.4 miLaudholm Farm ↗Wells, ME
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
5,749 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 Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in?
Maine.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.492, -70.396. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Tnc W Branch 3 Rx at 46 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 92 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, noticeable light pollution.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
331 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Mill House and First Congregational Church, Former.
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: Rachel Carson 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.