USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Alabama

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a 35,000-acre (140 km2) national wildlife refuge (NWR) located along the Tennessee River near Decatur, Alabama. Named after Major General Joseph Wheeler, it was established to provide a habitat for wintering and migrating birds in the Eastern United States.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateAlabama
Size33,827 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 4
Center point34.6011, -86.8684
Night skySome glow on the horizon (Black Marble reading 63)

Boundary map

3 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 Register listings within 15 miles · 83 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge?

33,827 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 Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in?

Alabama.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 34.601, -86.868. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 63 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, some glow on the horizon.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge?

83 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Redstone Test Stand and Propulsion and Structural Test Facility.

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: Wheeler 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.