Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a protected coastal reserve in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach, established in 1938 and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Covering 9,062.45 acres on an isolated stretch of Virginia’s Outer Banks, it preserves barrier-island habitats including dunes, maritime forests, freshwater marshes, ponds, beaches, and managed impoundments for wintering wildfowl. Much of its marshland lies on islands within Back Bay, creating a mix of open water and sheltered wetlands. Valued as an important link on the Atlantic Flyway, especially for migratory birds such as snow geese, it also provides access to the remote coast near False Cape State Park.