Toppenish
Plan Your Visit
Spread across the Yakima Valley, Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge offers a broad collection of habitats, and thus species. Natural and managed wetlands, mixed with shrub-steppe and streams, provide homes for just about every species found in the Columbia Basin. The wildlife, in turn, attracts visitors, mainly hunters and bird watchers. The refuge is well-known for its waterfowl hunting opportunities, and those same waterfowl, along with scores of species of waterbirds, shorebirds and passerines, draw in serious "birders."
The refuge consists of 1,978 acres spread over a distance of 27 miles in the agriculturally intensive Yakima Valley. The main part of the refuge (Robbins and Pumphouse Units) is at the center, with the remaining smaller parcels spread around the valley. Eight of the outlying units lie upstream of the main refuge area, and four are located downstream. The entire refuge is situated within the floodplain of Toppenish Creek, a year-round tributary of the Yakima River.
Toppenish is a refuge of water, so plan your visit accordingly. Even in summer, plan on getting your feet wet.
The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset, except for hunting, which has special hours from 1-1/2 hours before legal hunting time to 1-1/2 hours after. The Toppenish Refuge Headquarters is periodically staffed in the early morning and late afternoon hours.
The main refuge entrance is located six miles south of Toppenish on U.S. Highway 97, then one mile west from the refuge sign. Parking is allowed in designated parking areas only.
Opportunities for recreation at Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge include wildlife observation, hiking and hunting. Wildlife observation and hiking are allowed year-round in the southeast portion of the main refuge from Highway 97 to the Refuge Headquarters. Sport hunting is permitted on the refuge in accordance with state and federal regulations. Hunters should consult the Washington State hunting regulations. Special refuge regulations also apply (see the Rules & Regulations page). Fishing, camping, boating and driving off-road are prohibited on the refuge.
Most areas of the refuge are very remote with no restroom or drinking water facilities; refuge visitors should plan their trips accordingly. Access difficulty varies by area.
For local lodging information, please contact the Toppenish Chamber of Commerce at 509-865-3262.
Featured Species
The Yakama Valley, which Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge sits in, has a broad collection of habitats and thus a diversity of species. Natural wetlands, such as sloughs and oxbows, are flanked by riparian areas. Many species of migratory waterfowl and nongame birds, such as rails, Savannah sparrows, and northern harriers, use the wetlands for feeding and nesting activities.
Native shrub-steppe, characterized by big sagebrush , greasewood, bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, and native bunchgrasses, covered upland areas. Loggerhead shrikes, long-billed curlews, sage thrashers, Brewer’s and sage sparrows, burrowing owls, and California quails are only some of the animals that use the shrub-steppe.
The combination of habitats is a natural magnet to both resident and migratory wildlife. Seasonal changes in the habitats result in a change in numbers and diversity of wildlife using the refuge through the year. In spring, many shorebirds probe the exposed mudflats in the wetlands. Waterbirds also wade through the shallow seasonal wetlands in search of food. Phalaropes, dowitchers, yellowlegs, and western, least and spotted sandpipers are a few of the shorebird migrants seen here. Other spring migrants, such as swans, lesser and Taverner’s Canada geese, and many species of ducks forage and rest on refuge wetlands.
Many birds, like the great blue heron, black-crowned night heron, bittern, sora, and Virginia rail nest on Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge. American avocets, killdeer, snipe, and long-billed curlews also breed here.
Some ducks—mallards, gadwall, cinnamon teal and wood ducks—also nest here. Great horned, long-eared, short-eared, and burrowing owls are known to nest on the refuge, along with kestrels, red-tailed hawks, and northern harriers. Other raptors using the refuge include bald and golden eagles, rough-legged and ferruginous hawks, peregrine and prairie falcons, and sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks.
Activities
Featured Species
Services
Other Facilities in the Complex
About
Established in 1964, Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge serves as a sanctuary for migratory birds and protected species like endangered steelhead and various upland wildlife. It is part of the Central Washington National Wildlife Refuge Complex, offering a diverse blend of habitats including wetlands and shrub-steppe. The refuge is a key destination for birders, especially during the spring and fall migrations.
It's all about the birds. Not only is the spring and fall migration an exciting time to visit the refuge, but the summer is as well. Great horned owlets are learning to fend for themselves, coveys of quail forage around the visitor center and many species of songbirds can be seen and heard along the walking trail.
Ducks. Thousands and thousands of ducks. That's the image first brought to mind when thinking of Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge. However, a second look reveals more—there are also geese . . .
. . . and endangered steelhead and shorebirds and upland wildlife—like coyotes, mule deer and badgers—and a whole host of other wildlife calling the refuge home.