Together, UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge and Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge encompass an area of 1.1 million acres that span about 125 air miles along the Missouri River, from the Fort Peck Dam west to the boundary with the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Located within the boundary of Charles M. Russell Refuge, UL Bend is, in essence, a refuge within a refuge and are managed as one unit.

Visit Us

UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge provides a rare opportunity to experience wild lands and wildlife in a natural setting and in nearly the same surroundings as encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. Within the UL Bend Wilderness Area, visitors can experience undeveloped land that has kept its primeval character providing an opportunity for solitude and unconfined recreation.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge is one of over 560 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System - a system of lands set aside to conserve wildlife and habitat for people today and generations to come. 

      What We Do

      Because UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge lies within the boundary of the Charles M. Russell Refuge, they are managed as one refuge. Many of the resource management actions that take place on CMR include UL Bend such as fire, invasive species invasive species
      An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

      Learn more about invasive species       management and wilderness area wilderness area
      Wilderness areas are places untamed by humans. The Wilderness Act of 1964 allows Congress to designate wilderness areas for protection to ensure that America's pristine wild lands will not disappear. Wilderness areas can be part of national wildlife refuges, national parks, national forests or public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

      Learn more about wilderness area       management. The overall management goal is to promote biological diversity and maintain the natural abundance of native plants and wildlife. Science is the foundation upon which conservation decisions are made. We use research, monitoring and the best-available science to inform our work to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitat.