Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge is a nature preserve on the grounds of

Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It was developed on the site of the former Belvoir plantation, seat of the prominent Fairfax family for whom Fai ...

in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Several other parks, including

Mason Neck State Park Mason Neck State Park is located in Fairfax County, Virginia. The park is on a peninsula formed by Pohick Bay on the north, Belmont Bay on the south and the Potomac River to the east. The park has an area of and is home to bald eagles, great ...

, Pohick Bay Regional Park, and the Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge are located nearby. The refuge was established in 1979 to protect sensitive wetlands and wildlife habitats associated with

Accotink Bay Accotink refers to multiple placenames and geological features within the U.S. state of Virginia. * Accotink, Virginia * Accotink Bay * Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge * Accotink Creek Accotink Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrograp ...

and to provide opportunities for environmental education and low-intensity recreation. The refuge offers more than eight miles of hiking trails, including a short paved trail for handicapped access. Species native to the preserve include: *

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

es *

Deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

American toad The American toad (''Anaxyrus americanus'') is a common species of toad found throughout Canada and the eastern United States. It is divided into three subspecies: the eastern American toad (''A. a. americanus''), the dwarf American toad (''A. a ...

s *

Raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

s *

Black rat snake Black rat snake may refer to: *'' Pantherophis alleghaniensis'', the eastern ratsnake * '' Pantherophis spiloides'', the central ratsnake *''Pantherophis obsoletus ''Pantherophis obsoletus'', also known commonly as the western rat snake, black ...

s *

Eastern box turtle The eastern box turtle (''Terrapene carolina carolina'') is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. ''T. c. carolina'' is native to the eastern part of the United States. The eastern box turtl ...

s *Various

millipede Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a resu ...

s, including ''

Narceus americanus ''Narceus americanus'' is a large millipede of eastern North America. Common names include American giant millipede, worm millipede, and iron worm. It inhabits the eastern seaboard of North America west to Georgetown, Texas, north of the Ottine ...

'' *Various

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

s, including

spotted salamander The spotted salamander or yellow-spotted salamander (''Ambystoma maculatum'') is a mole salamander common in eastern United States and Canada. The spotted salamander is the state amphibian of Ohio and South Carolina. This salamander ranges from N ...

s and red back salamanders *Various

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

s, including '' Lycosa aspersa'' The Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center is located at the entrance to the refuge. The center features exhibits, videos and trail guides about the refuge and offers nature education programs. A small parking area with space for six cars (two reserved for handicapped) is located just outside the Tulley Gate entrance off Route 1.

References

External links

Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge
- VA Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries

- National Park Service information including Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge Nature reserves in Virginia Protected areas of Fairfax County, Virginia Protected areas established in 1979 1979 establishments in Virginia {{FairfaxCountyVA-geo-stub