USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Idaho

Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeast Idaho, seven miles (11 km) south of Montpelier. Surrounded by mountains, it lies in Bear Lake Valley at an elevation ranging from 5,925 feet (1,806 m) on the marsh to 6,800 feet (2,100 m) on the rocky slopes of Merkley Mountain. The refuge office is located in Montpelier.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge18,273 acresUSFWSID7 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
1fire
active
Red Ryder Rx (prescribed burn) · 23 mi from the center
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateIdaho
Size18,273 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 1
Center point42.1663, -111.3171
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

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

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 7 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 4.6 mi
St. Charles Campground
Reservable6 sites
FS · 6.6 mi
Paris Springs Campground
Reservable12 sites
FS · 6.8 mi
Davis Canyon Campground
Reservable1 site
FS · 8.5 mi
Montpelier Canyon Campground
Reservable15 sites
FS · 8.6 mi
Porcupine
Reservable17 sites
FS · 9.2 mi
Cloverleaf Campground
Reservable19 sites
FS · 9.2 mi
North Fork Campground - St. Charles Canyon
Reservable1 site

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Red Ryder Rx

    23 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 Register listings within 15 miles · 87 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

18,273 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 Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in?

Idaho.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is St. Charles Campground, 4.6 miles out. 7 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 42.166, -111.317. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Red Ryder Rx at 23 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 16 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

87 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Ream, William and Nora, House and Linvall, J. L., House and Outbuilding.

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: Bear Lake 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.