Visit Us
The two islands that make up Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge are closed to the public. Hennepin and Spirit islands are a sensitive breeding area for a variety of colony-nesting birds. If you are boating on Mille Lacs Lake, please stay at least 100 yards offshore while fishing or observing wildlife from your watercraft.
Location and Contact Information
- Mille Lacs National Wildlife RefugeC/O Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge 36289 State Highway 65 McGregor, MN 55760-5875
- Spirit Island
- Hennepin Island
Our Species
Both Hennepin and Spirit islands are used by colonial nesting species, including ring-billed gulls, herring gulls, double-crested cormorants, American white pelicans and the state-threatened common tern. Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge hosts one of only five common tern breeding colonies in Minnesota. The common tern is currently listed as a state-threatened species, a Minnesota species in greatest conservation need, and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation priority species.