Great Scenic Drives On National Wildlife Refuges

Sandhill Cranes flying at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To really explore a national wildlife refuge, of course, you’ll want to get
out of your car. But occasionally time is short, or you want to get the lay
of the land before you set out on foot. No problem. For all you
let’s-check-it-out-first types, here’s a sampling of some super refuge
drives to whet your appetite for the next step.



Prefer to choose your own favorites, by wildlife, region or scenery? See
refuge trails and byways: http://1.usa.gov/19MalqX



Check refuge websites for details. Refuge tour routes are general open
sunrise to sunset. Some refuges charge a nominal entrance fee, usually $5.



*Bosque del Apache National Wildlife
Refuge*<http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bosque/>
*, New Mexico*

An hour from Albuquerque, a 12-mile auto loop along refuge impoundments
offers great views of the Chupadera and San Pascual Mountains. From late
October through early spring, see huge flocks of sandhill cranes and snow
geese fly out at dawn to feed in fields and return at dusk to roost in the
marshes. Take the historic route in: El Camino Real National Scenic Byway
has connected Mexico City and Santa Fe for hundreds of years.

*Wildlife to see*: Thousands of sandhill cranes, snow geese, Ross's geese
and ducks.



*Lower Klamath* <http://www.fws.gov/refuge/lower_klamath/>* and **Tule
Lake*<http://www.fws.gov/refuge/tule_lake/>
* National Wildlife Refuges, California *

Separate drives on this pair of northern California refuges feature birds
galore and stunning views of Mt. Shasta. Access the 10.2-mile Lower Klamath
loop from Stateline Highway 161, 12 miles from the refuge visitor center.
An alternative east-side route offers access to a hike along the refuge’s
southernmost boundary and seasonal views of sandhill cranes. Pick up the
Tule Lake tour route five miles south of the visitor center. Reach both
refuges from the Volcanic Legacy All-American Road, a national scenic byway
between Oregon’s Crater Lake and California’s Mt. Lassen.

*Wildlife to see:* Ducks and geese (spring/fall), white pelicans and
western grebes (summer, and bald eagles and other raptors (winter). Also,
sandhill cranes, tundra swans and many other species.



*J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge*<http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling>
*, Florida*

Four-mile-long Wildlife Drive is slated to reopen in October 2013 after
repaving. It’s worth the wait. The Sanibel Island route winds through
mangrove forest, cordgrass marsh and hardwood hammocks, offering close-up
views of wading birds, shorebirds, seabirds, waterfowl and raptors.
Bicycling is also popular on Wildlife Drive, part of the island’s system of
multi-use trails.

*Wildlife to see:* Roseate spoonbills, wood storks, reddish egrets, little
blue herons, yellow-crowned night-herons, anhingas, white pelicans, red
knots, marbled godwits, bald eagles, otters, bobcats and alligators.



*Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge*<http://www.fws.gov/refuge/bombay_hook/>
*, Delaware*

A 12-mile wildlife drive cuts across man-made pools, salt marshes,
mudflats, woodlands and upland fields.  Spring brings migrating waterfowl,
wood warblers and shorebirds. Summer draws herons, egrets, avocets,
black-necked stilts and terns. Fall and winter months provide resting and
wintering grounds for Canada geese, snow geese and a mix of waterfowl.
Birds of prey are seen all year long. The drive passes five short walking
trails, three with 30-foot-high observation towers.

*Wildlife to see:*  Snow geese, northern pintails, warblers, dunlins,
dowitchers, avocets, black-necked stilts, yellow warblers, purple martins,
red tailed hawks and bald eagles.



*Kenai National Wildlife Refuge* <http://www.fws.gov/refuge/kenai/>*, Alaska
*

Skilak Loop Wildlife Drive, an 18.5-mile gravel loop off the Sterling
Highway, leads through a black spruce forest and along Skilak Lake and
Engineer Lake, passing several scenic overlooks. Several hiking trails are
accessible from the loop.

*Wildlife to see:* Moose, bear, spruce grouse, snowshoe hares, beaver,
lynx, eagles and peregrine falcons.



*Wichita Mountains Wildlife
Refuge*<http://www.fws.gov/refuge/wichita_mountains/>
*, Oklahoma*

Take a three-mile drive to the top of Mt. Scott for a panoramic view of the
Wichita Mountain range. Between mountain peaks, see some of country’s last
untilled native prairie, where bison and cattle roam among the oaks and
greenbriar. Every September the Annual Bison Roundup culls the animals for
testing and sale, donation or return to the herd. State Highway 49, which
goes about 20 miles through the refuge, is another scenic drive. Both roads
are part of the Wichita Mountains National Scenic Byway, as designated by
the Federal Highway Administration.

*Wildlife to see:* Texas Longhorn cattle, bison, elk, deer, coyotes,
red-tailed hawks, prairie dogs, turkey, bobcat.



*Seney National Wildlife Refuge* <http://www.fws.gov/refuge/seney/>*,
Michigan*

A seven-mile ride along Marshland Wildlife Drive in  this Upper Peninsula
refuge leads past wetlands and open water and through deciduous and
coniferous forests in the Great Manistique Swamp, an old lumbering area.
The road passes three wheelchair-accessible observation decks with viewing
scopes. Bicycles are allowed on the auto tour route.

*Wildlife to see:* Beaver, river otters, bald eagles, osprey, common loons,
Canada geese, sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, black bear, turtles and
songbirds.



*National Bison Range* <http://www.fws.gov/refuge/national_bison_range>*,
Montana*

Follow the steep and winding 19-mile gravel road up Red Sleep Mountain for
stunning grassland views with herds of bison, antelope, elk, big horn sheep
and deer. Trailers and vehicles longer than 30 feet are banned. From the
top, see the Mission Mountain range of the Rockies and enjoy panoramic
views of Mission Valley. From Red Sleep Mountain Drive, you can also access
two short walks.

*Wildlife to see:* Antelope, elk, mule deer, bison, mountain sheep, eagles.



*Ridgefield National Wildlife
Refuge*<http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ridgefield/>
*, Washington*

On the shore of the Lower Columbia River, a 4.2-mile gravel loop road
crosses fields, wetlands, sloughs, and forests—easily the refuge's most
popular visitor destination. The auto tour provides a sense of the refuge
landscape while making it easy to spy birds and other wildlife, especially
at an observation blind.

*Wildlife to see:* Migrant bird species such as sandhill cranes, as well as
resident bird species such as mallards, great blue herons and red-tailed
hawks. Coyote, raccoon, skunk, beaver and river otter are occasionally seen.



*Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge* <http://deslacs.fws.gov/>*, North Dakota
*

The 19-mile Refuge Backway follows the gently rolling hills of upland
prairie, offering excellent views of these and the wooded draws of the Des
Lacs Valley, with great scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities. More
than 250 species of birds, including waterfowl, raptors and many other
migrants, have been seen there, along with deer, moose and other mammals.
The Backway also contains the trailhead for Munch's Coullee National
Recreation Trail, a mile-long loop with a universally accessible section;
the trailway provides panoramic views and opportunities to see wildlife
close-up.

*Wildlife to see:* Mergansers and snow geese in the spring and fall,
several species of grebes in summer, as well as wild turkeys, white-tailed
deer and moose.