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Phones are down

The phone lines at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge are currently unavailable for the week. Visitors with inquiries are encouraged to contact us via email at CrabOrchard@fws.gov. In case of emergencies, please call 911.

The Visitor Center remains open during normal hours, Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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Youth Conservation Corps

Applications for the Youth Conservation Corps 2026 season are available. This program is for young men and women aged 15-18 years who are currently enrolled in school. More information can be found on our Get Involved page. 

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge was established on August 5, 1947. The refuge is made up of 44,000 acres of land with a great diversity of flora and fauna. The major habitats on the refuge include oak hickory upland forest, bottomland hardwood forest, cropland, brushland, prairie, wetlands and lakes. The refuge also includes a 4,050 acre congressionally designated wilderness area.

Visit Us

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge makes it easy to get your vehicle entrance or vessel pass ahead of time through recreation.gov. Check out the latest info on fees at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge  and find out where to grab your passes, since there’ve been some recent updates.

National wildlife refuges are a great way for us all to take a break from everyday stress and reconnect with nature. Come on out and enjoy the many activities available at Crab Orchard, like wildlife viewing, boating, hiking, fishing, and hunting. We can’t wait to see you there!

Location and Contact Information

      What We Do

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

      Some 30 national wildlife refuges charge visitors a nominal entrance fee 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 Recreational Lands Passes, your ticket...

      Service
      Entrance Passes
      Children in yellow shirts run down a path or trail at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
      Every Kid Outdoors Pass

      The Every Kid Outdoors program allows 4th-graders to see America’s natural wonders and historic sites for free.

      Annual 4th Grade Pass

      Cost: Free, non-transferable, valid for the duration of the 4th-grade schoolyear though the following summer (September-August).

      ...
      Service
      Land Management and Conservation Assistance
      Educator/Education Facility

      Our Species

      Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to spot a variety of wildlife. Visitors are likely to see bald eagles, including the six pairs that nest on the refuge. Watch for flocks of wild turkeys, white-tailed deer and a wide variety of songbirds including eastern bluebirds, indigo buntings, white-eyed vireos and summer tanagers.