Come See Us!
Come and see us at our Visitor Center and Headquarters:
Sacramento NWR is home to our Visitor Center and Headquarters for the Sacramento NWR Complex.
For everything else, click on our Visit Us page!
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VISITOR CENTER & HEADQUARTERS
The Visitor Center and Headquarters for Sacramento NWR Complex is located at the Sacramento NWR, 752 County Road 99W, Willows, CA 95988.
As of January 2024, the Sacramento NWR Office and Visitor Center is now open on a limited basis following a 2-year remodel. Over the next year, the Visitor Center will be open on select days as our new interpretive displays, bookstore, native plant gardens and picnic area are being built and staffing schedules are developed.
In the meantime, visitors can check out our Discovery Room, Environmental Education Classroom, new restrooms, two miles of trails and a viewing platform located on the six-mile auto tour. Come check out the conceptual designs and check in with staff to find out about birding hotspots and borrow a pair of binoculars for the day!
Current Visitor Center Hours:
- Thursday-Sunday, 9:00am - 4:00pm (subject to change, updated 10/28/2024)
- The Visitor Center is always closed on Federal Holidays.
Entrance Fee for Sacramento NWR Auto Tour/Trails:
See the Passes and Permits section of our Visit Us page for more info.
- $6 daily use fee per vehicle
- free with Annual Pass ($12)
- free with current Federal Duck Stamp ($25)
- free with Interagency Pass
- free with Military Pass
- free with scheduled school pass
- $20 for commercial vehicle (buses, vendors)
Admission to the Hunt Area requires different permits/fees. Please see our Hunting page for information.
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Discovery Room
Explore the Discovery Room and view the Complex's film Unfinished Symphony, then explore the interactive mural [coming soon!], touch station with feathers and skulls and hides, Kids Corner [coming soon!], and meet our rotating tenants (fish, frogs, snakes....all in aquariums of course!).
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Environmental Education Classroom
A new classroom facility is available for school groups to come learn all about the wetlands and wildlife of the Sacramento Valley. This space also functions as a meeting space for workshops and collaborative events with partners. See our Education and Outreach page for more information.
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Bookstore
[Coming Soon!] Visit the Bookstore, run by Friends of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, and find great field guides, nature books, postcards, t-shirts, caps, stickers, pins, and even fine-art prints! Visitor Center hours.
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Picnic Area
[Coming Soon!] Get in some extra bird-watching while you eat your lunch. Along with the development of a the new Native Plant Garden, four picnic tables and a variety of bird-feeders will be placed just outside the Visitor Center. Or enjoy your lunch on the shady benches located under the willow trees nearby. Restrooms are available. Open 7 days a week, year-round, from 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset. Please pack-out what you pack-in (no public trash cans).
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Native Plant Garden
[Coming soon!] Over the coming year, a new native plant garden will be developed at the entrance to the Visitor Center, thanks to our hard-working volunteers and partners. Sit on the new stone bench and enjoy the tiny visitors (hummingbirds and butterflies!). Open 7 days a week, year-round, from 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset.
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Wetland Walk
Head out onto the 2-mile Wetland Walk (pdf, brochure with map) from the Visitor Center. Walk through wetlands, a area, and vernal pools. Take an interpretive brochure (pdf, Wetland Walk brochure) along and learn about the plants and animals you encounter. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leash. Open 7 days a week, year-round, from 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset.
An additional 5 miles of Spring Trails (pdf) are available on the south part of the refuge from Feb 15 - June 30. Visit our Trails page for additional hiking opportunities.
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