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Know Before You Go

Hunting Season: Hunting season is underway at the refuge. When recreating on areas of the refuge open to hunting, we encourage all trail users to be proactive about their safety. It is recommended all visitors wear blaze orange or pink during hunting seasons. Pets are to be leashed at all times. Learn more on our hunt page.

Trail Updates: Please visit our trails pagefor the latest news on trail impacts and closures.

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a thriving urban refuge where nature connects people, communities and wildlife. Where diverse communities are welcomed through meaningful connections, educational opportunities and recreational experiences, while conserving wildlife habitat in the Minnesota River Valley.
Public entrance to Bloomington Education and Visitor Center, Bloomington, MN.
Visitor Center Hours

Current Bloomington Education and Visitor Center Services:

  • Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. *NOTICE: The Bloomington Education and Visitor Center will be closed on December 25-26, 2024 and January 1-2nd, 2025.
  • Phone number: 952-854-5900
  • Exhibits, bird feeder viewing area, Confluence Gallery
  • Equipment lending: Binoculars and explorer backpacks
  • America the Beautiful Passes
  • Nature Store (accepts cash and credit)
  • Indoor restrooms available during open hours
  • Accessible outdoor portable restroom open daily
  • Drinking water available indoors only

Current Rapids Lake Education and Visitor Center Services:

  • Hours: Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • Scheduled field trips and programs are not affected by this temporary closure
  • Phone number: 952-361-4500
  • Outdoor heated restroom open daily
  • No outdoor drinking water available


Land and trails are open daily, 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Side profile of red fox standing in two inches of snow with it's head pointed towards the left. The fox has some snow on it's body and is getting snowed on, with a white blanket of snow in the foreground with some dark blurred shrubs and golden brown leaves in the upper background.
Surviving Minnesota Winters
Many animals migrate before Minnesota's harsh winter begins. How do the animals that stay here survive the blistering cold?
Woman dressed warmly in camouflage and standing in marsh reeds aims a shotgun into the air
Hunting Information
Interested in hunting on the refuge? Make sure you know the regulations before you go!

Visit Us

Old Cedar Avenue Bridge over wetland at sunset.
Image Details

With more than 45 miles of trails open to hiking, biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, in the south metro you can easily find an adventure for all levels of experience. The Minnesota River Valley unfolds in front of you, and moments later you can find safe, quiet lands filled with wildlife. Visitors can easily find opportunities to try out fishing in ponds, lakes and the Minnesota River, and there are also portions of the refuge open for hunting.

See our Visit Us page to find out what the refuge has to offer, including:

  • Trails
  • Visitor Centers
  • Hiking
  • Fishing & Hunting
  • Snowshoeing
  • Environmental Education

Location and Contact Information

      What We Do

      The National Wildlife Refuge System is a series of lands and waters owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the refuge system. It drives everything we do from the purpose a refuge is established, to the recreational activities offered there, to the resource management tools we use. Selecting the right tools helps us ensure the survival of local plants and animals and helps fulfill the purpose of the refuge.

      Our Species

      Drake wood duck near submerged stick.
      Image Details

      The tallgrass prairie, floodplain forests and wetlands found within the refuge provide exceptional opportunities to find iconic and rare species of plants, birds, insects and freshwater mussels. Moments from the busy Twin Cities core you can find bald eagles, wood ducks, river otters, prairie skinks, and white-tailed deer. Endangered and threatened species such as the northern long-eared bat, rusty-patched bumblebee and rare freshwater mussels benefit from the protected habitats found throughout the refuge.