| Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
  Location in the US Virgin Islands  Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge (the U.S. Virgin Islands) | |
| Location | St. Croix, Virgin Islands, United States |
| Nearest city | Frederiksted, VI |
| Coordinates | 17°40′40″N 64°54′0″W / 17.67778°N 64.90000°W |
| Area | 360 acres (146 ha) |
| Established | 1984 |
| Visitors | 11,000 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge |
Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge preserves habitat for threatened and endangered species, with particular emphasis on the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Its two miles (3 km) of sandy beaches on the southwest corner of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands is an ideal nesting place for leatherbacks. The National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public for limited hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Aklis Archeological Site, a prehistoric shell midden on the coast, is in the refuge. The 4-acre (1.6 ha) site dates back to the year 400 and show evidence of human occupation for over 200 years, and has yielded a wide variety of artifacts, including pottery and stone tool fragments, and human remains. The site is subject to gradual erosion.[1] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The last scene of the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption was filmed in the refuge.
Sandy Point NWR is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex.
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