Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge
The Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for nine Michigan islands in the North American Great Lakes. Owned by the United States federal government, they were set aside for ecosystem protection purposes by President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1943.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Michigan |
| Size | 837 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 3 |
| Center point | 44.0301, -83.4344 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 6) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedLittle Blue Stems Rx
35 mi from the center point
- Prescribed6 Mile Unit 3 Rx
50 mi from the center point · 279 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 1.2 miThunder Bay Island Light Station ↗Alpena, MI
- 4 miMormon Print Shop ↗St. James, MI
- 5.9 miAlpena Light ↗Alpena, MI
- 6.4 miIoof Centennial Building ↗Alpena, MI
- 6.6 miBesser, Herman and Hattie (Ely), House ↗Alpena, MI
- 6.8 miAlpena County Courthouse ↗Alpena, MI
- 6.8 miBingham School ↗Alpena, MI
- 7.3 miFishing Tug Katherine V ↗Alpena, MI
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge?
837 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge in?
Michigan.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.030, -83.434. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Little Blue Stems Rx at 35 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 6 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge?
17 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Thunder Bay Island Light Station and Mormon Print Shop.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Description: Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.