Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge includes more than 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and maritime forest. Most of the refuge is located on the Virginia end of Assateague Island. Chincoteague Refuge provides habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, and song birds, as well as other species of wildlife and plants. Refuge staff manage this barrier island habitat to allow many species of wildlife to co-exist, each establishing their own place in the environment.
Refuge management programs restore threatened and endangered species and conserve local wildlife and plants. The refuge also provides environmental education and wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities such as fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, interpretation, and wildlife photography.