Urban Wildlife Refuges

A Pacific Chorus tree frog in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Washington. [photo: Ian Shive Photography]

Refuge wetlands in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Washington. [photo: Ian Shive Photography]

Refuge wetlands in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Washington. [photo: Ian Shive Photography]

Sunset in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge near Denver, Colorado. [photo: Ian Shive Photography]

Clean water. Clean air. Unusual and abundant wildlife. World-class recreation. All of these sound appealing to most backpackers. Are you looking for a quick, easy walk in a natural setting where habitat and wildlife are protected that is close to home? Try visiting a trail at one of the National Wildlife Refuge System’s 101 urban wildlife refuges. There are refuges in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Diego, Portland, Denver, New Orleans and Albuquerque, to name a few.

And, of course, if you’re up for a true backpack adventure, try a journey into Refuge System wilderness. From vast landscapes in Alaska like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the Arizona desert at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, a range of wild places can be found in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System. It is the only system of federal lands devoted specifically to wildlife and is a network of diverse, strategically located habitats. With over 560 national wildlife refuges across the country, there is one in every state, many within an hour’s drive of most U.S. cities. Learn more and find your next adventure on a national wildlife refuge.