Plan Your Visit

Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge is open from dawn to dusk. The gates on the McCormack Unit auto tour route automatically open at dawn and close at dusk. Please access the refuge only from designated public access areas. Parking is allowed in designated parking areas only. No overnight parking is allowed on the refuge.

Wildlife Viewing By Season

Choose the right season for viewing the wildlife you wish to observe. Curlews are more visible in spring when they are doing their courtship flights. Mule deer bucks are more active during the fall rut. Large concentrations of waterfowl are common in November and December.

Spring is a wonderful time to see spectacular wildflower displays on the refuge. Many species of waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds stop to rest and refuel for their migration further north. Long-billed curlews arrive in late March to begin their spectacular courtship flights, and the refuge celebrates "Curlew Day" with talks and tours.

As the flurry of migration settles, resident wildlife begin raising their young. Look for broods of Canada geese, mallards, and cinnamon teal in refuge wetlands. Avocets and black-necked stilts probe the mudflats for food, and American white pelicans soar high above the Columbia River. At dusk, watch for short-eared and burrowing owls hunting for rodents along field edges. Mule deer does and fawns feed in uplands and agricultural fields.

In early fall, songbirds migrate through the area en route to Mexico and Central America. Duck and goose numbers begin to build up as the days get shorter and colder on breeding grounds to the north. Take an evening drive along the auto tour route to see one of the area's greatest attractions—the large mule deer herd that resides on the refuge's McCormack Unit.

The refuge is a wintering area for many species of waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds. Peak concentrations of waterfowl usually occur in November and December. Winter also brings bald eagles and tundra swans. If freezing temperatures are not too severe, and there is plenty of grain in the agricultural fields, many birds will stay in the area all winter long.

Things You Need To Know

Access difficulty varies by area. Contact the Mid-Columbia River NWR Complex Office for suggestions using the area safely (509–546-8300).

Most areas of the refuge are very remote with no restroom or drinking water facilities. Refuge visitors should plan their trips accordingly.

Lodging is available in Boardman, Umatilla and Hermiston, Oregon.

Gasoline, supermarkets and restaurants are located in Boardman, Irrigon, Umatilla and Hermiston, Oregon.

Camping is not permitted on the refuge. Camping facilities in Oregon are available at the Boardman Marina. In Washington, camping facilities are available at Crow Butte State Park.

Firearms, bows and arrows, and other weapons are prohibited on the refuge, except for legal weapons used as permitted during designated hunting seasons.

Other things prohibited on the refuge are dogs off leash, off-road vehicles, and collecting of plants, animals, minerals, antlers and artifacts.