Mille Lacs
Isle, MN 56342
Plan Your Visit
Closed to the public.
The refuge is closed to public access because it is a sensitive breeding area for a variety of colony-nesting birds.
Throughout the late spring, summer and early fall, you are likely to spot ring-billed gulls, herring gulls, double-crested cormorants, American white pelicans and the state-threatened common tern, either nesting or resting on the rocky islands. Please use binoculars and camera lenses to get a closer look at the wildlife, while staying at least 100 yards offshore. Minimizing human disturbance to the water birds that call the refuge home is a high priority.
Featured Species
Services
The National Wildlife Refuge System is a series of lands and waters owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the refuge system.
About
Established in 1915, Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge is the smallest in the system at 0.57 acres and consists of Hennepin and Spirit Islands in Mille Lacs Lake. These islands serve as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds and are designated as a State Important Bird Area. The refuge is closed to public access to protect sensitive colony-nesting birds, and It is managed as part of a four-refuge complex with headquarters located in Zimmerman, Minnesota.