Sacramento NWR Complex - flooding at Sutter NWR
SACRAMENTO NWR COMPLEX ALERTS

UPDATED March 12, 2024:

ALERTS:

CLOSED due to flooding/flood damage:

  • Colusa NWR Auto Tour
  • Sutter NWR Spring Trails

OPEN:

  • Sacramento NWR Auto Tour and Wetland Walk Trails
  • Sacramento NWR Spring Trails (aka Logan Creek Trails)
  • Colusa NWR Trail and Observation Platform
  • Llano Seco Unit of Steve Thompson NCV WMA Trail and Observation Platform

Conditions are subject to change - please use caution and recreate safely.


New information will be posted here and to our Facebook Page immediately as it is determined.

Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is part of the SACRAMENTO NWR COMPLEX. Sacramento NWR offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including wildlife viewing, photography, hiking, hunting and so much more. The Visitor Center for the Complex is located at Sacramento NWR, where you can find maps/brochures, exciting programs, guided tours, exhibits, and a bookstore.
LIVE WEB-CAM

- What's the Weather Like? 
- Are there Birds at the Refuge? 
Check out the LIVE WEB-CAM at Sacramento NWR, brought to you by Friends of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.  Click on their link to find out how you can get involved! --> www.friendsofsnwr.org

VISITOR CENTER SOFT-OPENING

We are pleased to announce that our Visitor Center will be undergoing a “soft opening”.  Our days and hours have yet to be determined, but we anticipate being open Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00am-3:00pm (subject to change).

During our open hours you’ll be able to check out the big empty hall with posters of the new display designs, the environmental education classroom, and the new bathrooms.  We will have some temporary tables set up with discovery items, coloring, and Junior Ranger workbooks.  We hope to have the bookstore up and running in the next month or two.  We will be a work-in-progress throughout the coming year, as we continue to work on the new displays, kiosks, native plant gardens and demonstration pond.

Eleanore’s wise RULE OF THUMB:  If the flag is up, the Visitor Center is open! Even if the Visitor Center is closed, the new restrooms will be open.

We thank you for your support and patience during this very long construction project, and we look forward to welcoming everyone!
 

FOUND AN INJURED/ABANDONED ANIMAL?

The refuge does NOT rescue, rehabilitate or accept injured or orphaned animals.  If you need assistance, please contact a licensed care facility near you:
- Chico, CA vicinity:  Bidwell Wildlife Rehabilitation
- Sacramento, CA vicinity:  Wildlife Care Association
- For a statewide list of care facilities, visit the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Rehabilitation Facilities webpage.

Wildlife viewing from the Observation Platform at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge
Learn about Birdwatching, Photography, Hiking, Biking, Hunting and Education at Sacramento NWR Complex

Visit Us

Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is just one of the 5 National Wildlife Refuges and 3 Wildlife Management Areas that make up the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Sacramento NWR offers a wide variety of recreational activities for visitors. With a 6-mile driving tour, 2-mile walking trail, and programs like hunting and photography, there's something for everyone at the Sacramento NWR! 

Find out more about Sacramento NWR by exploring the menu to the left (desktop) or hamburger menu top-right (handheld device), or see our Plan Your Visit page (link below) to find everything the Complex has to offer.


 

____________________

 PLAN YOUR VISIT <-- Click here to find all the information you need to visit the Complex.....

Visitor Center
Auto Tours
Trails
Photography
Bicycling
Environmental Education
Hunting (Waterfowl)
Hunting (River)
Hours
Fees and Permits
Rules and Policies
 

VISITOR QUICK-LINKS for Sacramento NWR Complex

Refuge
Home
Pages:

Maps with
Driving
Directions:

Trail Maps/
Visitor
Leaflets:

Wildlife 
Checklists
& Surveys

Hunt
Maps:

PLAN YOUR VISIt to the complex
(Complex includes
all refuges, below) 
(see specific
refuges, below)
-TRAILS page
-AUTO TOUR page
-BICYLCING page
-PHOTOGRAPHY page
-EDUCATORS page
-River NWR MAPS page
-Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys
-HUNTING page
-Riv NWR HUNTING page
Sacramento NWRDirections - Sac NWR-Visitor Maps -Sac NWR
-Wetlands Walk guide
-Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys
Hunt Map - Sac NWR
Delevan NWRDirections - Del NWR--Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys
Hunt Map - Del NWR
Colusa NWRDirections - Cls NWRVisitor Map - Cls NWR-Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys
Hunt Map - Cls NWR
Sutter NWRDirections - Sut NWRVisitor Map - Sut NWR-Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys
Hunt Map - Sut NWR
Sacramento River NWRRiv NWR MAPS pageRiv NWR MAPS page-Wildlife ChecklistRiv NWR MAPS page
Llano Seco Unit (STNCV WMA)Directions - Llano SecoVisitor Map - Llano Seco-Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys
-
Butte Sink WMA---Waterfowl Surveys-
Willow Creek/Lurline WMA----

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is located about 70 miles north of the metropolitan area of Sacramento and 7 miles south of the town of Willows in Glenn and Colusa Counties. 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. 

      Click on the link below to learn more about us!

      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.

      Click on the link below to learn more about what we do!

      Our Organization

      National Wildlife Refuge System 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.

      A bright blue sky obstructed by fluffy white clouds reflected off of a stream shot from inside a kayak
      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With more than 570 refuges spanning the country, this system protects iconic species and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities on Earth.

      Our Species

      Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is best known for migratory waterfowl. 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 National Wildlife Refuge 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.

      Species and Habitats  <-- Click here to learn more about our species and habitats!

      Wildlife Checklist  <-- Click here to view our Wildlife Checklist