Monomoy NWR--Morris Island

About this Location

Take US-6 East to MA-137 South, to MA-28 East. Take MA-28 East to the rotary. Take the Main Street exit, up the hill to Shore Road. Turn right and proceed past Chatham Lighthouse. Bear left after lighthouse onto Morris Island Road. Follow Morris Island Road to signs for the refuge on the left, Wikis Way. Limited parking is available at the visitor center.

About Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge

See all hotspots at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge

Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1944 to provide habitats for migratory birds. The sand stretches for eight miles off the elbow of Cape Cod, forming the barrier islands of North and South Monomoy. In addition to the two islands, a 40-acre unit on Morris Island is also part of the refuge. This is where the headquarters and visitor center are located. The total size of the refuge is 7,604 acres with varied habitats of oceans, salt, and freshwater marshes, dunes, and freshwater ponds of which 3,244 acres are designated Wilderness. The refuge provides important resting, nesting, and feeding habitat for migratory birds, including the Federally protected piping plover and roseate tern. More than ten species of seabirds, shorebirds, and waterbirds nest on the islands. The refuge also supports the second-largest nesting colony of common terns on the Atlantic seaboard with over 8,000 nesting pairs.

One of Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge’s missions is to protect habitats critical to migratory shorebirds, spawning horseshoe crabs, and any other life that may reside on the refuge.

Monomoy is designated as an Important Bird Area and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Regional site due to its importance for migratory birds.

Approximately 94% of Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge is designated as a Wilderness Area.

Notable Trails

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike at Morris Island.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge Official Website

Last updated March 13, 2024