Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge was established in 1936 to provide a range for remnant antelope herds. Refuge management practices have since been broadened to include conservation of all wildlife and native plant species characteristic of this high-desert habitat. Public enjoyment, education and appreciation for the species and habitat found here is encouraged.
Advisory: Hot Springs Road Closed

Hot Springs Road, which leads to Hot Springs Campground, is currently closed to all vehicles and bicycles due to flooding and damage from recent storms. We are working on repairs and hope to have the road open by June 1, 2023 (depending on weather). Hot Springs Campground is currently only accessible through walking. If choosing to walk the road into Hot Springs Campground, please review a map and be prepared to hike several miles. We appreciate your understanding.

 

Refuge Road Conditions:

*Due to a wet winter and seasonal road closures, several Refuge roads are currently closed. Please plan accordingly:

Hart Mountain-Frenchglen Road is OPEN

Flook Lake Road is OPEN

Hot Springs Campground Road is CLOSED (closed for road repairs, please check back for updates)

Blue Sky Road is CLOSED (closed for road repairs, please check back for updates)

Black Canyon Road is CLOSED (expected to open June 15)

Secondary Roads south of Refuge Headquarters are CLOSED (expected to open June 15)

Secondary Roads north of Refuge Headquarters are CLOSED (expected to open June 15)

Skyline Drive CLOSED (expected to open June 15)

Barnhardy Road CLOSED (expected to open Aug. 1)

Latest News

gray wolf pokes head over tall brown grass
Endangered Species Act
$5,000 Reward Offered for Information on Illegal Killing of Gray Wolf in Klamath County, Oregon
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) related to the death of a federally protected gray wolf in southwest Oregon. On October 6, a radio collared male gray wolf known as OR 103 was found dead near Upper Klamath Lake.
Landscape view of green sagebrush underneath a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.
Land Management
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Provides $10 Million to Sagebrush Projects in the West
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced $10 million in fiscal year 2023 funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support over 50 projects in western states to restore and conserve strategic areas within the sagebrush ecosystem. These projects will combat invasive...
sagebrush country sunrise with lone tree
Habitat Restoration
Saving sagebrush on the Oregon-Nevada border
At Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge and Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, conservation managers and partners are working together to push back the increasing population and presence of Western junipers.
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Visit Us

A trip to Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge provides visitors the opportunity to disconnect from daily life and enjoy fresh air, sweeping vistas, and a diverse landscape. The Refuge is an oasis in the desert. Snow melt and springs feed many seasonal and year-round creeks, attracting hundreds of species of wildlife. A natural hot spring nestled against the eastern base of Warner Peak provides a soothing retreat for area visitors. 

A juvenile golden eagle, brown and white mottled feathers, flying with a light blue sky background
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Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      More than 30 million pronghorn once roamed North America. By the turn of the 20th century, only a few small bands were left. Hart Mountain was one of the last strongholds of this fleet-footed species. Set aside as a home for pronghorn, the Refuge is renowned as a dramatic landscape rich in wildlife diversity. Learn more about Hart Mountain and the impressive pronghorn who call Hart Mountain home: YouTube_Providing a Home for the Fastest Land Mammal in North America

      Pronghorn standing in sagebrush
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      Our Species

      Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge was established in 1936 to protect the American pronghorn which was in imminent danger of extinction. Together with Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge just a few miles south, the refuge today is important for the conservation of pronghorn, sage-grouse, American pika, California bighorn sheep, redband trout, and hundreds of other wildlife and plants which depend upon sagebrush sagebrush
      The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.

      Learn more about sagebrush       habitats found in the high desert of the Great Basin.

      Greater sage grouse in field
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      Two large, ornate birds with pointed fail features, large white breast on a dry grassland with mountains in the distance

      The Greater Sage-Grouse is a large grouse with a chunky, round body, small head, and long tail. Males change shape dramatically when they display, becoming almost spherical as they puff up their chest, droop their wings, and fan their tail into a starburst. Sage-Grouse are mottled gray-brown...

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      Get Involved

      Volunteers Needed!

      We rely on volunteers for several jobs around the Refuge. Whether you're interested in spending a few weeks enjoying the Refuge as a Resident Camp Host, or are interested in spending a day or two assisting with general maintenance or invasive plant species work, we usually have a job that needs doing! Email Becca Frager, our Complex Visitor Services Manager, to learn more: rebecca_frager@fws.gov.

      Check out this recent Washington Post article on volunteering for Hart Mountain and other public lands here! A Guide to Volunteering in the Outdoors (by Kate Silver, May 5 2022)