The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service invites you to spend time in the natural world during National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 10-17, 2026. Celebrate your access to a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities in the nation’s largest network of public lands dedicated to wildlife conservation, the National Wildlife Refuge System.

“National wildlife refuges have been part of America’s proud natural heritage since President Theodore Roosevelt established the first one on Pelican Island, Florida, in 1903,” said Service Director Brian Nesvik. “Whether you are hunting, fishing, watching wildlife or walking a trail, I encourage everyone to visit a refuge near them this week.”

From the Everglades of Florida to the tundra of northern Alaska, national wildlife refuges include some of the country’s most treasured landscapes. Every year, 70 million people visit refuges. National wildlife refuges provide vital habitat for thousands of species and access to world-class recreation, from fishing, hunting and boating to nature watching, photography and environmental education.

National Wildlife Refuge Week is observed each year during the second full week of October. Admission is free on Sunday, October 11, at national wildlife refuges that normally charge an entrance fee. Nearly 500 national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts are open to the public and offer free admission year-round.

October is one of the best months of the year to spend time on a refuge. Fall migration is in motion, and refuges are the rest stops for migratory birds along their journey. Waterfowl gather on refuge wetlands, raptors ride southbound winds along ridgelines and coastlines, and monarch butterflies move south fueled by fall-blooming asters and goldenrods. 

The National Wildlife Refuge System spans more than 570 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts, with at least one refuge in every state and U.S. territory.

Sportsmen and sportswomen can celebrate with expanded hunting and fishing on refuges from coast to coast, with new opportunities to pursue migratory birds, upland game, and big game, along with a range of fish species. Hunting, within specified limits, is currently permitted on more than 400 units, and fishing is currently permitted on more than 330 units in the Refuge System.

National wildlife refuges support regional economies to the tune of billions of dollars each year and thousands of jobs. Refuges also improve people’s lives by conserving wildlife, protecting against erosion and flooding and helping purify air and water.

Refuge Week falls at the height of the fall season and highlights not only a series of special Refuge Week celebrations but also the many community‑focused events that refuges host throughout autumn. Events are timed to the rhythms of bird migration and when children are back in school and designed for the local audiences who rely on these close‑to‑home, rural, non‑tourist destinations. Across the Refuge System, visitors can: 

• Join wildlife festivals that celebrate sandhill crane migrations, birding traditions and fall observance of World Migratory Bird Day.  
• Participate in outdoor recreation through youth deer hunts, archery lessons, fishing derbies and kayaking activities.  
• Many refuges offer hands‑on environmental education, including BioBlitzes, photography workshops, guided prairie hikes and junior scientist activities. 
• Community members can take part in volunteer projects such as shrub planting, invasive plant removal and other habitat restoration work.  
• Refuges also celebrate the arts and local culture through events like Art in the Arctic, Art on the Trail, bluegrass gatherings and historic hikes. 

Find the refuge nearest you and learn more about fall events.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov, or connect with us through any of these social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr.