Containing ~30,000 acres of estuarine habitat, uplands, open water, mudflats, salt ponds, and salt marshes, including much of southern San Francisco Bay, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for many wildlife.  Its purpose is to protect wildlife habitat for endangered species and migratory birds and to offer opportunities for nature study.  The Visitor Contact Station and Nature Store, located in Fremont, is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 2 PM when volunteers are available.

The mission of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is to work with diverse urban communities to inspire stewardship through educational and inclusive visitor engagement, while protecting and restoring a resilient bayland ecosystem that benefits both wildlife and people.

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is part of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is administered by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is the nonprofit 501(c)(3) Friends group to the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, supporting the education, interpretation, and research activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society seeks to nurture in the public a sense of understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuges, their natural and cultural history, and to conserve, preserve, and restore bay lands as essential wildlife habitat.