Laws and Regulations
Rules and Regulations
- The Refuge is open one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset for Refuge permitted activities.
- The 3-mile Wildlife Drive is open year round to automobiles, foot travel, horseback, and bicycling, including e-bikes.
- The 4-mile out and back Rio Grande Nature Trail and 2-mile out and back Bluff Nature Trail are open to foot travel. Depending on snowfall, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing during winter months are permitted. Hikers and snowshoers are asked to be respectful of tracks set by skiers and hike to the side.
- The Rio Grande Nature Trail is seasonally closed from April 15th to September 1st to protect the southwestern willow flycatcher, a federally endangered bird, during the breeding season.
- Pets must be leashed, and their waste picked up.
Prohibited Activities
- Traveling off of designated trails or roads.
- Entering Closed Areas of the Refuge.
- Camping and fires.
- Possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia (including marijuana).
- Unmanned aircraft systems, including drones.
- Littering, including pet waste.
- Searching for or removing cultural artifacts, fossils, or animal parts, including antler sheds.
- Off-highway vehicles, such as snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), or utility terrain vehicles (UTVs).
