From Washington To You
Freshwater wetlands and trees at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge in spring.
Photograph by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Public domain.

From Washington to you

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge · Thurston County · established 1974

FWS established this refuge in 1974 to protect the Nisqually River Delta, where freshwater meets Puget Sound.

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge sits where the Nisqually River meets Puget Sound, with easy access off Interstate 5 in Olympia. FWS established the refuge in 1974 to protect the Nisqually River Delta from development for fish, wildlife, and plants, especially migratory birds.

FWS says the refuge has recorded at least 250 species of birds, 95 species of fish, 7 species of amphibians, and 60 insect species. A mile-long estuary boardwalk extends over the tide. In 2009 partners completed what FWS calls the largest estuary restoration project in the Pacific Northwest.

The refuge is named for Billy Frank Jr. The sources below are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge pages. The service does not print an acreage figure on those pages.

  • Wildlife & Ecology

Sources (1)

Last reviewed: September 20, 2026

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