Things to do nearBack Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 primarily to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl along the Atlantic Flyway, one of the most heavily traveled bird migration corridors in North America. The refuge encompasses roughly 9,000 acres of barrier island habitat south of Virginia Beach, encompassing freshwater marshes, shrub thickets, maritime forest, and more than four miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach. That beach, backed by dunes stabilized by sea oats and American beach grass, sees far fewer visitors than the resort strip to the north, lending it a quiet, almost remote character.

The freshwater impoundments at the heart of the refuge are managed specifically to attract wintering waterfowl, and in peak season the skies above them fill with snow geese, Canada geese, tundra swans, and a wide variety of diving and dabbling ducks. Shorebird diversity is strong during spring and fall migrations, and the refuge consistently records over 300 bird species across the calendar year. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on the refuge beaches in summer, and the dune system itself is a subject of ongoing conservation work.

Visitors explore the refuge primarily on foot or by bicycle along dike roads and a beach trail, creating an experience that feels more like a wilderness excursion than a typical park visit. The refuge adjoins False Cape State Park to the south, allowing those willing to travel further to access even more isolated backcountry terrain. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge stands as one of the most ecologically significant and visually compelling natural areas on the Virginia coast, and a visit here offers a genuine encounter with the barrier island environment in its most intact form.