Wreck Island Natural Area Preserve

Wreck Island Natural Area Preserve is a 1,380-acre protected barrier island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore with marsh, beach, grassland, dune, and shrubland habitats shaped by the shifting Atlantic coastline. It is especially significant as bird habitat and is part of the National Audubon Society’s Barrier Island/Lagoon System Important Bird Area, serving as a nursery for nesting colonies. To protect those birds, access by boat is limited and restricted from mid-April to early September. The island has slowly migrated toward the mainland over time, and Hurricane Isabel destroyed its once distinctive shell mounds. The preserve is owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Cheriton, Virginia · United States