USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Montana

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Montana on the Missouri River. The refuge surrounds Fort Peck Reservoir and is 915,814 acres (3,706.17 km2) in size. It is the second-largest National Wildlife Refuge in the lower 48 states of the United States, and the largest in Montana. Created in 1936, it was originally called the Fort Peck Game Range. It was renamed in 1963 after Montana artist Charles M. Russell, a famous painter of the American West. In 1976, the "range" was made a "refuge".

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge937,047 acresUSFWSMT11 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
2fires
active
Chamberlin Reservoir · 18 mi from the center · 94 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateMontana
Size937,047 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 6
Center point47.6925, -107.2810
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21)

Boundary map

4 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 →

11 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 0 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

USACE · Inside
1St Dredge Shelters
Reservable2 sites
USACE · Inside
Administration Lawn
Reservable1 site
USACE · Inside
Boomtown Shelter
Reservable1 site
USACE · Inside
Downstream
Reservable94 sites
USACE · Inside
Interpretive Center Shelter
Reservable1 site
BLM · Inside
James Kipp Campground
First-comeMT
USACE · Inside
Kiwanis Park
Reservable4 sites
USACE · Inside
Perch Point 1 & 2
Reservable2 sites
Show 3 more

Fire nearby

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

    18 mi from the center point · 94 acres

  • Wildfire
    Blue Ridge - Garfield

    33 mi from the center point · 26 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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 46 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?

937,047 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 Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in?

Montana.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?

11 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including 1St Dredge Shelters, Administration Lawn and Boomtown Shelter. 11 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 Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 47.693, -107.281. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Chamberlin Reservoir at 18 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 21 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 Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?

46 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Administration Building and Employee's Hotel and Garage.

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: Charles M. Russell 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.