USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Colorado

Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge

The Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge is an 11,169-acre (4,520 ha) United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The site is located in the San Luis Valley along the east side of the Rio Grande approximately 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Alamosa primarily in southeastern Alamosa County, although very small parts extend into northeastern Conejos and western Costilla counties. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service jointly with the Baca and Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuges. It was established in 1962 as a haven for migratory birds and other wildlife.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge12,065 acresUSFWSCO
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
2fires
active
Blanca Wetlands Rx (prescribed burn) · 10 mi from the center · 208 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateColorado
Size12,065 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 6
Center point37.4211, -105.7757
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Blanca Wetlands Rx

    10 mi from the center point · 208 acres

  • Prescribed
    Comanche Powderhouse Rx

    49 mi from the center point

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Park & Preserve · 25 mi
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
National Register listings within 15 miles · 13 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge?

12,065 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge in?

Colorado.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.421, -105.776. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Blanca Wetlands Rx at 10 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 25 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge?

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge?

13 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Pike's Stockade and Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Locomotive No.169.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.