About Us
Guam National Wildlife Refuge is located on the island of Guam, an unincorporated U.S. Territory. Guam is the largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Archipelago, situated in the western Pacific Ocean, approximately 3,800 miles west of Honolulu and 1,500 miles south of Tokyo.
While the Refuge is comprised of three units, only the Ritidian Unit open to the public. The Ritidian Unit, which encompasses an area known to the native Chamorro (CHamoru) people as Puntan Litekyan, is located on the northern tip of Guam and encompasses approximately 1,217 acres, including 385 terrestrial acres and 832 acres of submerged areas offshore.
The Ritidian Unit was established in 1993 in response to the 1984 listing of six species as endangered. It was later designated as critical habitat in 2004 for three of these species: the fanihi (Mariana fruit bat), the sihek (Guam kingfisher), and the åga (Mariana crow). The Refuge is open Wednesday through Sunday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, except most federal holidays and during times in which the National Weather Service has issued an advisory. Please check the National Weather Service's website here to determine if the refuge will be closed due to life-threatening rip currents, hazardous surf conditions, typhoons, etc. Once all advisories have been lifted, the Ritidian Unit will resume normal operations.
Our Mission
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Our History
1993—The Guam National Wildlife Refuge was established.
Other Facilities in this Complex
The Refuge is comprised of three units: the Andersen Air Force Base Overlay Unit (Air Force Overlay Unit), the Navy Overlay Unit, and the Ritidian Unit. Only the Ritidian Unit is open to the public.