Guam National Wildlife Refuge
Fish and Wildlife Service.
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.
The Guam NWR is comprised of three units: the Andersen Air Force Base Overlay Unit (Air Force Overlay Unit), the Navy Overlay Unit, and the Ritidian Unit. The Ritidian Unit, 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, and was designated critical habitat in 2004 for three of these species: the Mariana fruit bat, the Guam Micronesian Kingfisher, and the 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 (NWS) has issued an advisory. Please check the NWS 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.
Nearby Activities
- Fishing
- Historic & Cultural Site
- Interpretive Programs
- Photography
- Visitor Center
- Wildlife Viewing
Directions
The Ritidian unit is located along the northernmost point of Guam. Access the unit along Route 3A from the Route 9/Route 3 interchange approximately 6 miles from the refuge headquarters. Travel north on Route 3A for 4.5 miles, then turn left and continue downhill 1.5 miles to the refuge.
