A view of Dungeness Spit looking back toward the mainland
from the New Dungeness Lighthouse
Most of the refuge is on the spits which are characterized by sand and cobble beaches surrounded by tidal mudflats and eelgrass beds. There are also two tidal ponds, a large one at the junction of the two spits and a smaller one about 1/2 mile east of Graveyard Spit on the Bay side of Dungeness Spit. Graveyard Spit is closed to the public and set aside as a Research Natural Area because of its unique vegetation.
The Dungeness NWR provides habitat for many different species. More than 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals, and eight species of marine mammals have been recorded in the refuge. It provides critical habitat for a number of species, some of them threatened or endangered, and is an important stop for many birds during migration.
Much of the information on these pages comes from Final Environmental Assessment of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, Clallam County, Washington, January 1997.
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