Becca Settele and Allison Cook

Across the United States and its territories is a system of federal lands dedicated to protecting and restoring wildlife. This system is, of course, the National Wildlife Refuge System.  

These refuges are found in Arctic tundra, tropical rainforests, coral reefs, coastal marshes, arid deserts and tallgrass prairies. They are home to more than 220 species of mammals, 700 bird species and over a thousand different species of fish. Hundreds of these animals are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and depend on the habitats within National Wildlife Refuges to survive and recover.

Not only is there at least one National Wildlife Refuge in every single U.S. state, but there is also one within an hour’s drive of most metropolitan areas. Do you know which NWR is closest to you? Find out by exploring the map below to see which of the 573 refuges you can easily go visit to connect with wildlife and nature!

Author

Becca Settele headshot

Becca Settele

Conservation GIS Analyst
As the Conservation GIS Analyst, Becca provides mapping and geospatial analysis services throughout Defenders to support conservation of wildlife across North America.
A Cook Headshot

Allison Cook

Content Writer
Allison joined Defenders of Wildlife in 2023 after working for Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. She has over seven years of specialized communications experience promoting wildlife conservation.