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A flock of dusky Canada geese fly over Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge
Seeking Cooperative Agriculture Agreement Applicants

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking an agricultural producer for a Cooperative Agriculture Agreement at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson, Oregon. The producer will farm land on the refuge for a period of five years as a Cooperator with the Service. Applicants must fill out applicable portions of FWS Form 3-1383-C and supplemental application questions. The applicants must address in their application how the applicant will meet the criteria outlined in the announcement. Click here to review the application requirements and download the application forms. 

Visit Us

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge provides a plethora of different public use activities. From hiking to nature photography, there is plenty to do, and just off Interstate-5 too!

Wildlife observation opportunities abound for a variety of species. From the croaking Pacific chorus frog, to the cackling acorn woodpecker, there is always something new to discover.

All of Ankeny's trails, boardwalks, and kiosks provide family-friendly wildlife viewing areas. The refuge has few hills, so all trails have very little elevation-gain, offering easy walks without losing any of the nature-experience opportunities.

Refuge Access

The refuge is open from dawn to dusk. The refuge is bordered by Ankeny Hill Road, Buena Vista Road, and Wintel Road to the north, west and south respectively, and visitors can access refuge trails and/or viewing areas from each. Parking is allowed in designated parking areas only. No overnight parking is allowed on the refuge.  

Hiking 

Hiking is allowed in all areas open to the public. Wildlife observation and photography are encouraged. Please stay out of closed areas to minimize disturbance to plants and animals. Bicycling and running are allowed only on designated public access routes. These activities are not allowed on trails or roads closed to public vehicles. 

General Regulations

Other prohibitions on the refuge are the collection of plants, animals, minerals, antlers and artifacts. Leashed dogs are permitted in designated parking areas only. All dogs and pets are prohibited on refuge trails and roads.  

Where We are Located

Ankeny NWR can be found off of Interstate 5, 12 miles south of Salem, Oregon or 10 miles north of Albany, Oregon; take the Ankeny Hill Exit (243). 

For questions about recreation, please contact the refuge complex office at (541) 757-7236 during normal office hours

Activities

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge provides a plethora of different public use activities. From hiking to nature photography, there is plenty to do, and just off Interstate-5 too!

Wildlife Viewing

If you enjoy getting outdoors and looking for wildlife, consider a visit to your nearest national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Learn more about national wildlife refuge
! At Ankeny wildlife viewing opportunities range from the stately great blue heron, to chittering western gray squirrels and kreck-ek-ing pacific chorus frogs.

Interpretation

For interpretive experiences at Ankeny NWR, check out Ankeny Hill Overlook, the Eagle Marsh Kiosk, Rail Trail Boardwalk, or the Pintail & Egret Marsh Boardwalk. 

Ankeny Hill Nature Center (AHNC) www.ankenyhillnaturecenter.org

Did you know Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge partners with the Salem Audubon Society and the Friends of the WVNWRC to operate a Nature Center at Ankeny Hill?  The Ankeny Hill Nature Center is 25 acres and includes two accessible trails, a Nature Explore Area, education nodes, Oak Overlook, Volunteer Basecamp and that's just the 1st Phase!  The building, Gehlar Hall, is an indoor and outdoor classroom. In the summer of 2023 the Dave Marshall Outdoor Classroom will be built.  The Ankeny Hill Nature Center is dedicated to being as inclusive and accessible as possible.  Visit anytime from dawn to dusk!  It's always free.  www.ankenyhillnaturecenter.org

Photography

Perhaps the fastest growing activity on national wildlife refuges in the past ten years has been wildlife photography.  That’s not surprising – the digital camera population explosion and cell phones with ever-improving picture-taking abilities are increasing the number of nature photographers at a rapid rate.  You don’t need to purchase expensive equipment or have any experience to get started.  A small camera or basic cell phone will do just fine for most visitors.

We welcome beginning and expert photographers alike to record their outdoor adventures on film, memory card or internal hard drive! Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge considers wildlife photography to be a high-priority activity, and we even provide a photography blind on Frog Pond at the Refuge. 

To learn more about our photography blind and the reservation process, follow the link below.

Trails

Ankeny has both year-round and seasonal trails. Seasonal trails are specified in their description and are open from April 1st - September 30th. 

Here is the trails description brochure Trail Descriptions Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge

Here is a refuge map to help you find trailheads and other viewing areas! Ankeny NWR Map

Trails & Boardwalks

The Dike Trails

Length: Variable

Open: April 1st-September 30th

Seasonally accessible dikes weave around most ponds and marshes on the refuge. Take a stroll down one of these paths for a closer look at activity on the water. See the refuge map for trail locations.

Rail Trail Boardwalk to Observation Blind

Length: .75 mile

Open: Year Round

The start of Rail Trail is at a parking lot on the south side of Wintel Road. Interpretive signs at the trailhead provide information about the refuge. From the Rail Trail parking lot, follow the gravel trail to the boardwalk. The boardwalk will take you through seasonally flooded ash woodlands. Stop at benches and interpretive panels along the way to look for downy woodpeckers pecking away at the branches or listen for black-capped chickadees in the shrubs. At the viewing blind, make sure to stop for a look at Wood Duck Pond where hooded mergansers, egrets, and Canada geese are often seen. From here, you can return the way you came, or continue a short way down the boardwalk as it wraps around Wood Duck Pond to a dike where the loop portions of the trail begin.

Rail Trail, Woodland Loop & Prairie Extension

Length: .5 to 1 mile

Open: April 1st-September 30th

From the end of the boardwalk, follow the trail across the dike and into an oak woodland habitat. An excellent summertime trail, the Woodland Loop is shaded under the forest canopy and provides opportunities to listen for songbirds in the branches above. After hiking about a quarter mile you come out of the forest onto a dike. Here you can complete the Loop by following the dike back to the boardwalk junction, or turn left for the Prairie Extension. This mown trail wraps around an open prairie for a half mile and back to the Rail Trail parking lot. This is a great spot to look for raptors such as northern harrier hunting over the fields. 

Rail Trail, Dunlin Pond & South Pond Loops, Killdeer Marsh Extension

Length: Variable

Open: April 1st-September 30th

From the end of the Rail Trail Boardwalk, follow the dike around Dunlin Pond. Look for great blue herons and great egret hunting in the waters, or shorebirds feeding along the pond-edges on the mudflats. The three-quarter-mile Dunlin Pond Loop will connect you to the start of the boardwalk on Rail Trail. The half mile South Pond Loop leaves Dunlin Pond Trail to extend viewing opportunities of the ponds and marshlands around the Rail Trail riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian
area. Marsh wrens and dragonflies may be seen zipping through the cattails on the pond banks. To give yourself an extra 0.45 mile of wetland trails, follow the Killdeer Marsh Extension and listen for red-winged blackbirds singing near the water. These trails are best in the early morning or evening due to lack of shade.

Pintail & Egret Marsh Boardwalk

Length: .25 mile

Open: Year Round

Pintail & Egret Marsh Boardwalk begins at a parking area on the north side of Wintel Road. An interpretive sign at the trailhead describes the Marshes. The boardwalk follows Bashaw Creek where red-legged frogs are often seen. Make sure to pause along the way to look for animal tracks in the muddy banks, listen for songbirds, and read interpretive signs to learn more about the different residents of this habitat. The boardwalk ends at an observation blind overlook Pintail and Egret Marshes. If you are quiet, you might be rewarded with spotting an osprey soaring overhead. Flocks of waterfowl frequent these marshes, so keep a lookout for various duck species as well as tundra swans and Canada geese.

Related Documents

Here you will find a variety of Refuge maps and resources.

Willamette Valley NWRC BIRD LIST

Check out the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex Bird List to see what birds are visiting, nesting, roosting and feeding at Ankeny, Baskett Slough and William L. Finley NWRs.  

Other Facilities in the Complex

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex. A National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an administrative grouping of two or more refuges, wildlife management areas or other refuge conservation areas that are primarily managed from a central location. Refuges are grouped because they occur in a similar ecological region and have a related purpose and management needs. These refuges for example, were created in the 1960s specifically for the habitat they provide for the dusky Canada geese in the winter.

The Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of three refuges: William L. Finley NWR and its additional Snag Boat Bend Unit, Ankeny NWR and Baskett Slough NWR.

Rules and Policies

There are lots of fun, interesting, and educational things you can do on the refuge. Keep in mind, if an activity is not wildlife related and doesn’t help in the protection or understanding of wildlife or their habitat, there are probably refuge rules governing this activity. Please check with the refuge management before participating in an activity that could harm the environment or yourself. There are plenty of activities on Ankeny for you to enjoy. Be safe and have fun!

Locations

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge
2301 Wintel RoadJefferson,OR97352-9758
Driving Directions

Refuge Access

The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset. The refuge is bordered by Ankeny Hill Road, Buena Vista Road, and Wintel Road to the north, west and south respectively, and visitors can access refuge trails and/or viewing areas from each. Parking is allowed in designated parking areas only. No overnight parking is allowed on the refuge.