Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931 when the Audubon Society and Boone & Crockett Club purchased over 34,000 acres of the Last Chance Ranch. Later, they designated the land a National Antelope Refuge. In 1936, over 540,000 adjacent acres were set aside as the Charles Sheldon Antelope Range. The two areas were then combined into one National Wildlife Refuge.
Current Refuge Conditions

Please see Public Use Restrictions listed on the Refuge Current Conditions page here

Visit Us

A trip to Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge provides visitors the opportunity to disconnect from daily life and enjoy the fresh air, warm pools and hidden treasures of northwest Nevada. Narrow gorges and lush springs lay hidden among the rimrock table lands, and unique historic and natural resources are scattered throughout the rolling hills of 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 and mountain mahogany.

bluebird perched on branch amongst sagebrush
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Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931 to protect the imperiled American pronghorn. The Refuge is home to a variety of fish, wildlife, and plants found in this remote corner of the Great Basin.

      Malheur NWR_Pronghorn_Barbara Wheeler Photography, USFWS Volunteer
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      Our Species

      Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931 to protect the American pronghorn which was in imminent danger of extinction. Together with Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge just a few miles north, the refuge today is important for the conservation of pronghorn, greater 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.

      California bighorn sheep on rocky cliff
      Image Details
      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

      We rely on volunteers for several jobs around the Refuge. Whether you're interested in spending a few weeks as a Resident Camp Host at the beautiful Virgin Valley campground, 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.

      Currently taking volunteer applications for Sheldon Summer Camp Host