Come See Us!
Sacramento NWR is home to our Visitor Center and is the Headquarters for the Sacramento NWR Complex.
Many other ways to be out on the refuges can be found on our Visit Us page!
Visitor Center & Headquarters
The Visitor Center and Headquarters for Sacramento NWR Complex is located at the Sacramento NWR: 752 County Road 99W, Willows, CA 95988.
During open hours (see "Current Visitor Center Hours", below), you'll be able to explore the interpretive displays, Discovery Room, classroom and bookstore, plus check in with staff and volunteers to find out about birding hotspots and borrow a pair of binoculars for the day!
But even when the Visitor Center is closed, you can come sit under the covered patio or tree-shaded picnic benches, use the restrooms, explore two miles of trails and check out the two viewing platforms located on the six-mile auto tour.
Current Visitor Center Hours*:
Our new Visitor Center and Nature Store (operated by the Friends of the Sacramento NWR) is open on a limited basis while we complete the final components of our exhibit installations from earlier this summer. Thanks for your patience, understanding and support!
| Fridays - Visitor Center Only, Nature Store occasionally | Saturdays - Visitor Center and Nature Store |
|---|
November 21 10am-3pm | Closed November 22 |
November 28 10am-3pm | November 29 10am-3pm |
December 5 10am-3pm | December 6 10am-3pm |
December 26 10am-3pm | December 27 10am-3pm |
January 2 10am-3pm | January 3 10am-3pm |
*The Visitor Center is always closed on Federal Holidays.
Entrance Fee for Sacramento NWR Auto Tour and Trails:
See the Passes and Permits section of our Visit Us page for more info. No entrance fee is required if you are only walking the trails.
Admission to the Hunt Area requires different permits/fees. Please see our Hunting page for information.
Discovery Room
[In Progress] Explore the Discovery Room and view the Complex's film Unfinished Symphony, then explore the interactive mural [coming soon!], touch station with feathers and skulls and hides, Kids Corner [coming soon!], and meet our rotating tenants [coming soon!] (fish, frogs, snakes, all in aquariums of course!).
Environmental Education Classroom
A new classroom facility is available for school groups to come learn all about the wetlands and wildlife of the Sacramento Valley. This space also functions as a meeting space for workshops and collaborative events with partners. See our Education and Outreach page for more information.
Nature Store
Visit the Nature Store, run by Friends of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, and find great field guides, nature books, postcards, t-shirts, caps, stickers, pins, and even fine-art prints! Hours are still in flux. If you would like to volunteer to run the Nature Store on days when the Visitor Center is open, please reach out directly to our friends group: https://www.friendsofsnwr.org/
Picnic Area
Get in some extra bird-watching while you eat your lunch. Enjoy your lunch on the benches under the shady willow trees next to the parking area, or check out the four new picnic tables [Coming Soon!] while watching a variety of bird-feedersjust outside the Visitor Center. Restrooms are available. Open 7 days a week, year-round, from 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset. Please pack-out what you pack-in (no public trash cans).
Native Plant Garden
[Coming soon!] Over the coming year, a new native plant garden will be developed at the entrance to the Visitor Center, thanks to our hard-working volunteers and partners. Sit on the new stone bench and enjoy the tiny visitors (hummingbirds and butterflies!). Open 7 days a week, year-round, from 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset.
Wetland Walk
Head out onto the 2-mile Wetland Walk (pdf, brochure with map) from the Visitor Center. Walk through wetlands, a area, and vernal pools. Take an interpretive brochure (pdf, Wetland Walk brochure) along and learn about the plants and animals you encounter. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leash. Open 7 days a week, year-round, from 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset.
An additional 5 miles of Spring Trails (pdf) are available on the south part of the refuge from February 15 - June 30. Visit our Trails page for additional hiking opportunities.
