Updates are posted here as new information is received. If the 'last-updated' timestamp is a few days old, it is because conditions have not changed since that time. Last updated 4/30/32026 3:00pm*
Temporarily Closed
Packer Unit Boat Launch (at Sacramento River NWR): due to a downed tree across the boat launch, visitors will not be able to launch boats into Packer Lake until staff are able to move or remove the downed tree.
All other refuges and refuge units are open.
Check out these seasonal recreation opportunities:
- Pool 2 Extension on the Sacramento NWR Auto Tour - open March 15-September 10
- Sacramento NWR Logan Creek Spring Trails - open February 15-June 30
- Sutter NWR Spring Trails - open February 15-June 30
*Before calling the refuge for updates, please review this section of our website or our social media pages. Any new information will be posted here and to our Facebook and Instagram promptly. Areas are subject to closure without notice. Please use extreme caution when driving the refuges, as flooding can occur without warning and road shoulders are soft and will not support your vehicle.
Did you find an injured or abandoned animal or bird?
The Refuge Complex does not rescue, rehabilitate or accept injured or orphaned animals.
Please visit California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Native Wildlife Rehabilitation webpage for what to do and frequently asked questions, noting the following (copied directly from CDFW's webpage):
- DO NOT intervene without proper guidance from a trained professional (i.e., capture, handle, confine, feed/water).
- DO NOT drop off wild animals at a location, unless instructed to do so.
Bald Eagle Nest - Sacramento NWR
Updated April 30, 2026: We have a sad update to share regarding the eaglets from the bald eagle nest along the auto tour route at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.Despite a promising start, both eaglets fell from the nest. One was found deceased, while the other was recovered alive, but in poor condition. The surviving eaglet was transported to a raptor rehabilitation facility in an effort to save it but did not survive.
This difficult moment serves as a reminder of the natural cycle of life. Nature can be both beautiful and harsh at the same time. While these eaglets were loved by many given their proximity to publicly accessible areas, multiple nesting bald eagle pairs continue to be supported across the refuges and wildlife management areas of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. We appreciate everyone’s care and support for bald eagles and their habitats.
Pay your Entrance Fee for the Sacramento NWR Auto Tour on Recreation.gov
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge makes it easy to for you to pay your entrance fee, or buy an annual pass, before you visit using recreation.gov. All 1-day, annual, and commercial vehicle passes will be digital. Purchasing a pass is not required for anyone using a valid Federal Duck Stamp or valid Interagency Pass (more information on Visit Us).
Sacramento NWR collects a day-use fee for the Auto Tour to help pay for visitor facilities. 100% of these fees stay on the Complex and are used for educational programs, sign improvements, kiosks, platforms and other visitor facilities.
Visitor Center is Open - limited days and hours
Our new Visitor Center is open on Fridays, 10am-3pm (effective May 1, 2026; subject to change). The exterior restrooms are always open. The Nature Store, operated by the Friends of the Sacramento NWR, is closed for the summer season.
Curious about what to expect?
Check out our graphic summary on the seasonality of birds and water on our What to Expect - Seasons of a Wetland page.
Live Web-Cam
Questions: What's the weather like? Are there birds at the refuge?
Answer: Check out the Live Web-Cam *at Sacramento NWR, brought to you by Friends of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. *Note: the solar-powered live webcam may default to highlight reels during long periods of fog or cloud cover due to lack of power.
Visit Us
Welcome to Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge!
Sacramento NWR is the Headquarters for the Sacramento NWR Complex, and offers a visitor center with restrooms and a picnic area, auto tour, information kiosks, observation decks, trails, photography blinds (by reservation only), environmental education programs, seasonal bicycling opportunities, and hunting.
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is one of the 5 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and 3 Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) that make up the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex:
- Sacramento NWR
- Delevan NWR
- Colusa NWR
- Sutter NWR
- Sacramento River NWR
- Llano Seco Unit (Steve Thompson North Central Valley) WMA
- Butte Sink WMA
- Willow Creek-Lurline WMA
Use the table (below), the left menu (computer), or the top right hamburger menu (three lines on mobile device) to navigate to the information that's most helpful for you:
| Find Your Way Around | Activities | Hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Visit Us A one-stop place for all your visiting questions, including hours, accessibility, what to expect, passes and permits and more! | Auto Tours Trails Bicycling | Hunting at Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa and Sutter NWRs |
| Maps Directions Brochures | Photography | Hunting (RIVER) at Sacramento River NWR |
| Visitor Center | Education and Outreach | Junior Hunters Mobility-Impaired Hunters Special Hunts |
Location and Contact Information
About Us
The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, split across Glenn and Colusa Counties, is located about 70 miles north of the metropolitan area of Sacramento and 7 miles south of the town of Willows. The refuge consists of 10,819 acres of wetlands, grasslands and riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian habitats.
What We Do
Resource Management
To help plants and wildlife, Refuge staff uses a variety of habitat management techniques to maintain, recover or enhance plant and wildlife values. Refuge staff carefully consider any management techniques and employ them in varying degrees according to the situation.
Conservation and Partnerships
The Complex is involved in many conservation endeavors, including Comprehensive Conservation Plans, Private Landowner Programs, and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act.
Our Organization
National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) Improvement Act of 1997:The NWRS Improvement Act defines a unifying mission for all refuges, including a process for determining compatible uses on refuges, and requiring that each refuge be managed according to a CCP. The NWRS Improvement Act expressly states that wildlife conservation is the priority of System lands and that the Secretary shall ensure that the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of refuge lands are maintained. Each refuge must be managed to fulfill the specific purposes for which the refuge was established and the System mission. The first priority of each refuge is to conserve, manage, and if needed, restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats according to its purpose.
Our Species
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is best known for migratory waterfowl. Migrating waterfowl are present September through April and numbers regularly peak at over 500,000 ducks and 250,000 geese. Sacramento NWR is an important wintering grounds for Tule Greater White-fronted Geese. The Sacramento NWR Complex provides nearly 70,000 acres of wetland, grassland, and riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian habitats for a wide array of waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, waterbirds, songbirds, reptiles, and mammals. The Complex currently supports nearly 300 species of birds.