USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Utah

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a 74,000-acre (299 km2) National Wildlife Refuge in Utah, established in 1928. The refuge is part of a national system of fee ownership lands purchased from willing sellers, mostly private property owners.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge77,296 acresUSFWSUT1 campground within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
2fires
active
Fremont · 21 mi from the center · 170 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateUtah
Size77,296 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 6
Center point41.4701, -112.2636
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14)

Boundary map

3 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. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 5.7 mi
Box Elder Campground
Reservable34 sites

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

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Fremont

    21 mi from the center point · 170 acres

  • Prescribed
    Red Ryder 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 Historical Park · 7 mi
Golden Spike National Historical Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 113 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge?

77,296 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 River Migratory Bird Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in?

Utah.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Box Elder Campground, 5.7 miles out. 1 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 River Migratory Bird Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 41.470, -112.264. Golden Spike National Historical Park is 7 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Fremont at 21 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 14 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge?

Golden Spike National Historical Park (7 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge?

113 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Corinne Methodist Episcopal Church and Oregon Short Line Depot.

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 River Migratory Bird 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.