Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in two separate sections in central Chaves County, New Mexico, United States, a few miles northeast of the city of Roswell. Both sections lie on the banks of the Pecos River. The refuge was established in 1937 to provide habitat for migratory birds such as the sandhill crane and the snow goose, but it is also notable for rare native fish and the over 90 species of dragonflies and damselflies that inhabit the refuge.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | New Mexico |
| Size | 24,876 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 2 |
| Center point | 33.5918, -104.4087 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 29) |
Boundary map
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
- WildfireSanders
46 mi from the center point · 50 acres
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
- 0.9 miGarrett, Patrick Floyd, House ↗Roswell, NM
- 3.8 miUrton Orchards ↗Roswell, NM
- 4.2 miHenge, The ↗Roswell, NM
- 4.2 miSlaughter--Hill Ranch ↗Roswell, NM
- 4.3 miMilne--Bush Ranch ↗Roswell, NM
- 4.7 miGoddard, Robert H., House ↗Roswell, NM
- 5.5 miSaunders-Crosby House ↗Roswell, NM
- 5.6 miChaves County Courthouse ↗Roswell, NM
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
24,876 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 Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in?
New Mexico.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.592, -104.409. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Sanders at 46 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 29 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
12 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Garrett, Patrick Floyd, House and Urton Orchards.
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: Bitter 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.