Facility Activities

Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge has a mixture of tallgrass prairie, wet meadows and open marsh habitats support a variety of wildlife species. 

Auto tour
Auto tour routes offer a great all-season way to see wildlife and habitats from the comfort of your car. By using your car as a viewing blind, you can often see more wildlife than you can see on foot.
Backpacking
Backpacking is allowed, by permit, on some sites where trails that pass through a refuge are too long or remote to hike in one day.
Birding
From bald eagles to spoonbills, from condors to puffins, birds abound on national wildlife refuges. Refuges provide places for birds to nest, rest, feed and breed making them world-renown for their birding opportunities.
Dog walking
Many sites do not allow dogs because they can disturb wildlife. Refuges that do allow dogs generally require that they be leashed. Some sites allow hunters and sledders to bring dogs.
Fishing
Fishing is available at 378 units (343 national wildlife refuges and 35 wetland management districts) of the National Wildlife Refuge System, almost 20 national fish hatcheries and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters. Virtually every type of sport fishing is represented. Anglers must follow state and federal regulations. Check individual sites for season dates and size, day and possession limits.
Hunting

In 2004, Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge was established with a 2,300-acre donation by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Through additional land transfers from TNC and other land acquisitions, the refuge has eclipsed 23,000 acres in 2018. The Glacial Ridge Project is the largest contiguous...

Photography
Whether you wield a smartphone or a zoom lens, you’ll find photo-worthy subjects at national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries. Wildlife photography is a priority public use on national wildlife refuges, so you’ll find wildlife drives and blinds and overlooks to help you get the images you’re after.
Trapping
Trapping is carefully managed to ensure safety and the sustainability of wildlife populations. Permitted trapping on refuges typically mirrors state regulations, and trappers who access refuge lands for recreation must possess state licenses and follow state regulations as well as permit stipulations.
Wildlife watching
Many refuges champion wildlife viewing as a key recreational activity.