Ten miles of surf-beaten dunes on the eastern shore of the islands, sometimes reaching 100 feet in height, give way to salt marsh and then to mud flats on the western shore. The sands are still shifting. The mainland portion of the refuge remains non-Wilderness. People lived here from 1711 and evidence remains, primarily a lighthouse complex on the south island. Habitat for migratory birds is the specialty of Monomoy, and you may see grebes, shearwaters, petrels, gannets, bitterns, egrets, herons, swans, geese and ducks.
Many species nest here including the endangered piping plover and roseate tern.
Hundreds of harbor seals and gray seals live along the shore of the island in winter. Recreational boaters also swarm the shores in summer. Camping, fires and pets are not permitted. Off the coast of southeastern Massachusetts. A boat is required for the short trip to the north island.