Best Wildlife Refuge

Established by the United States Congress in 1908, the National Bison Range is a wildlife refuge located in northwestern Montana within the Flathead Indian Reservation. It protects a herd of American bison across roughly 18,000 acres of native Palouse prairie, grasslands, and forests. In 2020, the f...

The Okefenokee Swamp Prairies are expansive, open-water wetland areas located within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. Characterized by floating peat mats and a covering of aquatic plants like water lilies and bladderworts, these marshes are surrounded by cypress forests. The prair...

Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is a protected natural area located in northwestern Minnesota that was established in 2004. The refuge manages one of the largest tallgrass prairie and wetland restoration projects in the United States, reversing decades of agricultural drainage. It provides a...

Located on the Alaska Peninsula in the United States, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge protects a vast expanse of coastal wetlands and tundra. Its most significant feature is Izembek Lagoon, which contains one of the largest eelgrass beds in the world. This habitat is a critical stopover site for mi...

The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge is a vast protected coastal wetland in southwestern Alaska, United States, encompassing the delta of the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. Covering approximately 19.6 million acres, it is one of the largest national wildlife refuges in North America. The refuge pro...

Established in 1992, the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Texas Hill Country and protects the rugged canyon ecosystems of the Edwards Plateau. The refuge was specifically created to preserve crucial nesting habitat for two endangered migratory birds, the golden-cheeked...

The Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area in Cherry County, Nebraska, established in 1912. Covering over 19,000 acres, it preserves a diverse mix of sandhill prairie, mixed-grass prairie, and riparian woodland along the Niobrara River. The refuge manages a herd of American bison...

The Blackwater Marshes are a large complex of tidal brackish wetlands located within the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland. Situated on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, the ecosystem serves as a critical stopover habitat for migratory waterfowl and a nesting ground for bald eag...

Established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt, the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the prairie pothole region of North Dakota. The refuge is most famous for hosting one of the world's largest nesting colonies of American white pelicans, which thrive on the remote, undisturbed...

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area in the Nebraska Sandhills, established by executive order in 1935 and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge encompasses numerous shallow lakes, marshes, and wetlands interspersed among the sand dunes that define this grasslan...

The Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area situated in the Sandhills region of western Nebraska, managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Established in 1931, the refuge encompasses a vast expanse of rolling sand dunes, mixed-grass prairies, and numerous shallow la...

The Nisqually Estuary Marshes are tidal wetlands located in Washington state where the Nisqually River meets Puget Sound. Situated within the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, the area underwent a major restoration in 2009 when the Brown Farm Dike was removed, returning 762 acres t...

Located in Montana, the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 and preserves vast mixed-grass prairie and wetlands.

Located in Utah, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a major wetland preserve in the United States, notable for protecting crucial habitat for millions of migrating waterfowl.

Bombay Hook Marshes are tidal salt marshes in Delaware's Bombay Hook refuge, established in 1937 as a major feeding stop for migratory waterbirds.

Great Dismal Swamp Marshes are wetlands spanning Virginia and North Carolina, protected by a national wildlife refuge established in 1974.

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a massive wetland complex in eastern Oregon, United States, notable as a crucial breeding ground for migratory birds in the Pacific Flyway.

Parker River Salt Marshes are tidal wetlands on Plum Island, Massachusetts, notable for protecting migratory birds within a refuge established in 1942.

Quivira Marshes are saline wetlands in central Kansas, notable as a major Central Flyway stopover within a national wildlife refuge established in 1955.

Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana is a remote high-altitude wetland recognized for saving the trumpeter swan from near extinction.

Hart Mountain Hot Springs are natural mineral springs located within the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Oregon. The springs offer a unique opportunity for relaxation and therapeutic soaks amidst diverse wildlife including pronghorn antelope and other species. The refuge itself is notable...

Established in 1966, Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas protects riparian woodlands and native tallgrass prairies along the Neosho River to support diverse migratory birds.

The Waubay National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota preserves a vital mix of wetlands and tallgrass prairie habitats for migrating birds.

Anahuac Marshes are coastal wetlands near Galveston Bay in Texas, notable for alligators and migratory birds at a national wildlife refuge established in 1963.

The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota protects tallgrass prairies and wetlands along the Minnesota River valley.

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, established in Kansas in 1955, protects salt marshes and prairie wetlands used by whooping cranes and other migratory birds.

The Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota preserves critical wetlands and native prairie habitats for migrating waterfowl.

Spanning the Des Lacs River valley in North Dakota, this refuge protects critical wetlands and mixed-grass prairie habitats for waterfowl.

Klamath Marsh is a large freshwater wetland in south-central Oregon, protected as a national wildlife refuge since 1958 for migratory birds.