UPDATED March 23, 2023:
CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING:
- Colusa NWR Auto Tour is CLOSED (March 23)
- DELAYED: the March 15 opening of the Pool 2 Loop at Sacramento NWR's Auto Tour is delayed due to excessively muddy conditions
- Sutter NWR Spring Trails are CLOSED
OPEN* :
- Sacramento NWR Auto Tour/Trails
- Colusa NWR Auto Tour/Trails
- Llano Seco Unit Trail
- Sacramento River NWR
*Use extreme CAUTION as flooding can occur without warning and road shoulders are soft and will not support your vehicle. Areas are subject to closure without notice.
New information will be posted here and to our Facebook Page immediately as it is determined.
Sacramento River NWR is made up of 30 different units that lie between Red Bluff and Princeton. Twenty-four of the units are partially or entirely open to the public, providing a variety of hiking trails and hunting/fishing opportunities.
Starting March 14, 2022, CalTrans began construction on the new Butte City Bridge at the Sul Norte and Codora Units. A new bridge and causeway is being constructed adjacent to the existing structures, after which the old structures will be demolished. The Sul Norte and Codora Units will continue to be open to the public through the current parking lot, although road and trail access may be temporarily re-routed to accommodate construction activity. The SAFETY ZONE adjacent the bridge has been expanded by 150 feet during the construction project - please follow all signs in the field.
Brush Control Project - from late November 2022 through February 2023, a brush control project will be implemented on the Pine Creek, Drumheller North, Drumheller Slough, Afton, Packer and Codora units and equipment and disturbance may be encountered during this time period.
Dairy Fire burn area is re-opened to public access - The area that was closed in June 2021 due to the Dairy Fire has been re-opened after hazard tree removal has been completed. The Dairy Fire affected the southern portion of the La Barranca Unit, the western portion of the Todd Island Unit, and the northern portion of the Mooney Unit. Please continue to use caution when visiting this area as tree health may continue to change over the upcoming months.
Latest News
Visit Us
Sacramento River 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 River NWR offers a variety of recreational activities for visitors: hunting, fishing, hiking, photography, and wildlife viewing. With 24 units open to the public and the scenic Sacramento River running through many of these units, there's something for everyone!
Find out more about Sacramento River 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.....
• ACTIVITIES
• visitor center
• auto tours
• trails
• photography
• bicycling
• hunting
• environmental education
• HOURS
• FEES
• ACCESSIBILITY
• DIRECTIONS
• OTHER LOCAL INFORMATION
Location and Contact Information
About Us
The Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It is located along a 80-mile stretch of the Sacramento River between Red Bluff and Princeton, in Tehama, Butte, Glenn and Colusa Counties. The refuge's 30 properties or Units total 10,353 acres, and consist primarily of restored and remnant
riparian
riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian
habitats, but also include grasslands and some orchards.
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.
Our Species
Several threatened, endangered, and sensitive species can be found on the Sacramento River Refuge including Chinook salmon, Valley elderberry longhorn beetle, yellow-billed cuckoos, Swainson's hawks, and bank swallows.
Species and Habitats <-- Click here to learn more about our species and habitats!
Wildlife Checklist <-- Click here to view our Wildlife Checklist