The 10,000 acre Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1953 for use as an inviolate sanctuary and for any other management purposes of migratory birds. The refuge also serves as an ideal destination for recreation. As a designated Important Bird Area, it is a place of global significance for migratory waterfowl.
CLOSURES AHEAD

Due to upcoming Deer Hunts on the Refuge, the Ferguson Bayou hiking trail, the Woodland trail, and the Wildlife Drive are closed to all public use on the following dates:

  • Sept. 10 - Sept. 11 (Youth Hunt)
  • Oct. 1 - Oct. 7
  • Oct. 28 - Nov. 3
  • Nov. 15 - Nov. 23
  • Nov. 26 - Nov. 30
  • Dec. 2 - Dec. 8
  • Dec. 16 - Dec. 22
  • Dec. 26 - Dec. 30

Please keep in mind that the Wildlife Drive closes for the season on October 1st.

Despite the closure of the building, the trails at Green Point Environmental Learning Center in Saginaw are available everyday during daylight hours only. 

 

 The 2022 Waterfowl hunt at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is conducted through a self-registered lottery system and will occur during the State of Michigan regular waterfowl season for the southern zone (October 15th – December 11th).  For more information, check our Hunting tab under activities or our 2022 Regulation Sheet.

Latest News

Two bald eagles perched along a nest
Wildlife Wonders
Eagles Across America
Half a century ago, the bald eagle was in danger of extinction. Conservationists helped lead a remarkable recovery, and in 2007 the bald eagle was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. This article touches on why the bald eagle inspires the awe and respect that it does.
A male wood duck swims through a flooded forest and is reflected in the water
Empowering people to fight aquatic invasive species
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and partners are empowering people to fight aquatic invasive species. Aquatic invasive species can drive out and eat native plants and wildlife, spread diseases, and damage infrastructure. Many aquatic invasive species - including plants, fish, and mussels - can...
A tiny sea turtle hatchling crawls across the sand to the ocean at Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia.
Recreation
Summer Sights
Here’s what you can see and where at national wildlife refuges.
Sunset on seasonal wetland at Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Habitat Restoration
Tittabawassee River Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge Expansion
Land for hunting will be acquired, preserved, and made available to the public using $1.2 million in dedicated funds. This is in addition to preserving approximately 150 acres along the Tittabawassee River in Saginaw that was already purchased with funding provided by Dow and is being managed by...
Sunset on seasonal wetland at Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Habitat Restoration
Tittabawassee River Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge Restoration Project
Provides funding for restoration enhancements expected to affect 2,708 acres.
A woman aims her camera at birds through a photography blind at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.
Recreation
Photo Blinds on Wildlife Refuges
These national wildlife refuges are among those with photography blinds or wildlife observation blinds.
View All News

Visit Us

Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge provides several great opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The mixture of bottomland forests and wetlands creates great waterways for canoeing and kayaking while also being great wildlife observation, hunting and fishing areas.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      The 10,000 acre Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1953 for use as an inviolate sanctuary and for any other management purposes of migratory birds. The refuge also serves as an ideal destination for recreation. As a designated Important Bird Area, it is a place of global significance for migratory waterfowl.

      What We Do

      Services
      Kayakers navigating a swamp full of trees and lily pads.
      Federal Recreational Lands Passes

      Some 30 national wildlife refuges  charge visitors a nominal entrance fee (generally $3-$5 daily)  to cover road and facility maintenance.  If you are a regular visitor or would like to visit other public lands, you could save by buying an America the Beautiful Federal...

      Service
      Entrance Passes
      Silhouette of a person walking with a shotgun on the tundra
      Apply for a Special Use Permit on National Wildlife Refuges

      Some commercial, recreational and research activities are allowed on national wildlife refuges only with a special use permit issued by the local office, and are subject to specific conditions and fees. This permit requirement is meant to ensure that all activities at the federal site are...

      Service
      Communication
      Permits
      Business Owner/Commercial Business
      Educator/Education Facility
      Landowner - Commercial
      Landowner - Individual
      Oil/Gas Company
      Private Land Owners/Managers
      Researcher or Research Facility - Commercial Scientific
      A pair of redheads floating 2022-2023 Duck Stamp by Jim Hautman
      Buy a Duck Stamp or E-Stamp

      Purchasing Federal Duck Stamps is easy! We offer a variety of methods for you to purchase the annual stamp – whether you need one for migratory bird hunting, admittance to a National Wildlife Refuge, as part of your stamp or art collection, to showcase the wildlife species, or because...

      Service
      Duck Stamps
      2022 Junior Duck Stamp Traveling Artwork Exhibit
      Host the Federal Duck Stamp or Junior Duck Stamp Art Exhibit

      Do you want to showcase some of the nation’s premier artwork? Would you like to celebrate art, conservation, and the outdoors?  Are you looking for a centerpiece or side exhibit for your special event, museum, art gallery, or exhibition? Each year the top placing artwork from the...

      Service
      Duck Stamps

      Our Species

      More than 280 species of migratory birds and more than 100 songbirds have been observed on the refuge. The refuge supports numerous species of colonial nesting waterbirds such as ring-billed and herring gulls, great blue herons and great egrets. The refuge is home to several pairs of nesting eagles. In the spring and summer visitors may see eastern fox snakes (non-venomous) or white-trailed deer while on the trails. Muskrats are active throughout the year, swimming along drainage and the wetlands. Visitors might observe American white pelicans resting during the summer in Maankiki Marsh.