Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge

About Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge

The Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge(NWR), was established in 1951 as a breeding ground for colonial bird species. Herons, cormorants, egrets, endangered brown pelicans and many more species use this quiet refuge for nesting. Tarpon Key, one of the islands making-up the refuge, hosts the largest brown pelican rookery in the state of Florida. The abundant green sea grass beds around the island are protected from motorized boat activity. Pinellas Key NWR is closed to public use year-round. Pinellas Key NWR is managed as part of the Crystal River NWR Complex.

How to Get There

Because of its small size and importance to wildlife, the refuge is closed to all public use

Plan Your Visit to Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)