Hiking is allowed along roads open to vehicle traffic and other designated hiking areas of the refuge. Bicycling and horseback riding are permitted only on roads that are open to motor vehicles. They are not allowed on trails or roads closed to vehicles. To protect nesting birds and wintering waterfowl, most refuge islands are closed to public entry year round.

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.