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SACRAMENTO NWR COMPLEX ALERTS

Updated November 29, 2024, 9:50am

ALERTS

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CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING:

  • Sutter NWR Hunt Area
  • Sacramento NWR Riparian Trail section of the Wetland Walk Trail

OPEN*: 

  • Sacramento NWR Auto Tour and Trails 
  • Sacramento NWR Hunt Area 
  • Delevan NWR Hunt Area
  • Colusa NWR Auto Tour, Trail and Observation Platform
  • Colusa NWR Hunt Area (both East and West sides are open)
  • Llano Seco Unit of Steve Thompson NCV WMA Trail and Observation Platform (**see below for link to CDFW's Wildlife Area closures, including hunt area at Upper Butte Basin WA Llano Seco Unit)
  • Sacramento River NWR remains open to authorized public use

*Use extreme caution as flooding can occur without warning and road shoulders are soft and will not support your vehicle.  Areas are subject to closure without notice.

Please do not call the refuge for closure updates - when known, new information will be posted here and to our Facebook Page and Instagram immediately.

**For information on CDFW's state Wildlife Areas, including the Upper Butte Basin WA Llano Seco Unit (hunting), please visit their Closure page

Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is part of the SACRAMENTO NWR COMPLEX. Sacramento NWR offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including wildlife viewing, photography, hiking, hunting and so much more. The Visitor Center for the Complex is located at Sacramento NWR, where you can find maps/brochures, exciting programs, guided tours, exhibits, and a bookstore.
General Information

NOVEMBER 30 SUNSET WALK SIGNUP

Geese in flight silhouetted against the sky at sunset. The scene glows with golden light and the clouds are illuminated in pinks and golds.
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As our communities mark the autumn season by gathering for time with family and friends, another kind of gathering is happening on the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Here, the changing of the seasons is heralded by the arrival of thousands of migratory waterfowl. Join a refuge ranger for a sunset walk on November 30th to explore the seasonal changes, get out in nature, and enjoy the transition from day into night. We’ll be meeting at the visitor center at 3:45 pm and beginning our walk on the wetland trails at 4:00 pm.

Some additional details: 

  • Walk will be about 1 mile and will take place primarily on firm, flat surfaces.
  • Bring layers and comfortable walking shoes. Bring binoculars if you have them. 
  • Bad weather will cause us to cancel the program. We will make the call about cancellation by 2 pm the day of and contact the RSVP list if we need to cancel. 
  • Program is family friendly but people under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
  • RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/g/3K6CjhD2HD

NEW HUNTING WEBPAGES

Two hunters in camo clothing hide with a hunting dog in the tules beside a marsh. One hunter is using duck call while the other holds a shotgun.
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Here are the shortcuts to our new hunting webpages:

VISITOR CENTER IS OPEN

Conceptual Drawing of new visitor center with views of the west and south side of building, and overhead view with and without roof
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As of Saturday November 2, 2024, we are pleased to announce that our new Visitor Center is open Thursday-Sunday from 9:00am-4:00pm (subject to change, closed on all Federal Holidays).

Thanksgiving Weekend Hours: 

  • November 28-29 (Th-Fri): Closed (bathrooms remain open, accessed outside the Visitor Venter main entrance doors)
  • November 30-December 1 (Sat-Sun): Open 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
     

CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT?  

Seasons of a Wetland Graphic with 4 columns. Fall column: flood-ups begin, shorebirds stop by on their way south, ducks and geese arrive. Winter column: waterfowl numbers peak late November to December. Spring column: draw-downs begin to germinate food plants, waterfowl numbers decline as they migrate north, shorebirds stop by on their way north, summer residents begin to nest. Summer column: irrigations are done to produce food plants, field work is done to enhance habitat, summer residents remain
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Our refuges are all on-track for typical flood-up and bird numbers...we are close to reaching our annual late November - early December peak for ducks and geese.  Check out our graphic summary about What to Expect - Seasons of a Wetland
 

LIVE WEB-CAM

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- What's the Weather Like? 
- Are there Birds at the Refuge? 
Check out the LIVE WEB-CAM at Sacramento NWR, brought to you by Friends of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.  Click on their link to find out how you can get involved! --> www.friendsofsnwr.org
 

INJURED or ABANDONED ANIMAL?

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Questions about a baby bird or injured wildlife?  Please visit our CONTACT US page for information on what to do and who to call.  Please do not call the refuge - Sacramento NWR does not rescue, rehabilitate or accept animals. 

Visit Us

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Welcome to Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge!   

Sacramento NWR is the Headquarters for the Sacramento NWR Complex, and offers a Visitor Center with Restrooms and a Picnic Area, Auto Tour, Information Kiosks, Observation Decks, Trails, Photography Blinds (by reservation only), limited Bicycling, Environmental Education Programs and Hunting.  

There are LOTS of recreational opportunities on the other refuges of the Complex, including Visitor Areas, Auto Tours, trails, bicycling, photography, and hunting. 

Click on VISIT US! to find all the information you need to plan your visit, like recreational opportunities, what to expect, hours and directions, accessibility, passes and permits, rules and policies, local and contact information.  Or jump straight to your favorite activity using these quick links:

VISITOR CENTERAUTO TOURSTRAILSBICYCLINGPHOTOGRAPHYHUNTING-WATERFOWLHunting-RiverMAPS, DIRECTIONS + BROCHURESENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Sacramento National Wildlife is one of the 5 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and 3 Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) that make up the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex: 

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

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      The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is located about 70 miles north of the metropolitan area of Sacramento and 7 miles south of the town of Willows in Glenn and Colusa Counties. The refuge consists of 10,819 acres of wetlands, grasslands and riparian riparian
      Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

      Learn more about riparian       habitats. 

      Click on the link below to learn more about us!

      What We Do

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      • Resource Management

      To help plants and wildlife, Refuge staff uses a variety of habitat management techniques to maintain, recover or enhance plant and wildlife values. Refuge staff carefully consider any management techniques and employ them in varying degrees according to the situation.

      • Conservation and Partnerships

      The Complex is involved in many conservation endeavors, including Comprehensive Conservation Plans, Private Landowner Programs, and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act.

      Click on the link below to learn more about what we do!

      Our Organization

      National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997:The NWRS Improvement Act defines a unifying mission for all refuges, including a process for determining compatible uses on refuges, and requiring that each refuge be managed according to a CCP. The NWRS Improvement  Act expressly states that wildlife conservation is the priority of System lands and that the Secretary shall ensure that the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of refuge lands are maintained. Each refuge must be managed to fulfill the specific purposes for which the refuge was established and the System mission. The first priority of each refuge is to conserve, manage, and if needed, restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats according to its purpose.

      A bright blue sky obstructed by fluffy white clouds reflected off of a stream shot from inside a kayak
      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With more than 570 refuges spanning the country, this system protects iconic species and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities on Earth.
      Program
      Washington,DC

      Our Species

      Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is best known for migratory waterfowl. Waterfowl are present September through April and numbers regularly peak at over 500,000 ducks and 250,000 geese. Sacramento NWR is an important wintering grounds for Tule Greater White-fronted Geese.  The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex provides nearly 70,000 acres of wetland, grassland, and riparian riparian
      Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

      Learn more about riparian       habitats for a wide array of waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, waterbirds, songbirds, reptiles, and mammals.  The Complex currently supports nearly 300 species of birds.

      Click on the link below to learn more about our Seasons of Wildlife, Wildlife Checklist, Wildlife Surveys, and Our Species....