Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, Protected barrier island wildlife refuge in McIntosh County, Georgia, US.

Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge is a federally protected area on a barrier island off the Georgia coast, covering tidal forest, salt marsh, freshwater wetlands, and sandy beaches. The island has no road access and can only be reached by water, which keeps it largely free of development.

The land that became Blackbeard Island was sold by the Navy Department at a public auction in 1800 as a source of live oak timber for shipbuilding. In 1924 it was placed under the Bureau of Biological Survey as a preserve and breeding ground for native wildlife and migratory birds. A presidential proclamation in 1940 changed its designation from Blackbeard Island Reservation to Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge. From 1880 to 1910 the US Navy also ran the Southern Atlantic Quarantine Station on the island.

The island is named after Edward Teach, the pirate Blackbeard, and a legend holds that part of his treasure is buried here. The last hunt for it took place in the 1880s at the north end of the island, and no doubloon has ever been found; no further authorized attempts have been made since.

Getting to the island requires a private boat or a charter arranged from nearby coastal towns such as Darien or St. Marys. Tides can affect when landings are easy, so checking conditions before setting out is a good idea.

About 3,000 of the refuge's 5,618 acres are protected as federal wilderness. The last authorized treasure hunt, chasing the Blackbeard legend, took place in the 1880s at the north end of the island; no doubloon has ever been found and no further hunts have been permitted.