USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Oregon

Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge

Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge is a 3,117-acre (12.61 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located 7 miles (10 km) northeast of Hermiston and 3 miles (5 km) south of the Columbia River in Umatilla County, Oregon; The refuge was established in 1909 as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds. It consists of diverse wetland habitats surrounded by upland habitat of big sagebrush and native steppe grasses. A riparian component of willow and cottonwood provides refuge for birds, mammals, and other animals.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateOregon
Size3,125 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 1
Center point45.8605, -119.1495
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

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
    Nine Canyon

    19 mi from the center point · 600 acres

  • Wildfire
    North Cayuse

    34 mi from the center point · 4,887 acres · 97% contained

  • Wildfire
    Hagen

    44 mi from the center point · 61,381 acres · 87% contained

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 · 10 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge?

3,125 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 Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge in?
Can I camp at Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Mcnary Beach - Sockeye Shelter, 6.1 miles out. 4 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 Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 45.861, -119.150. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Nine Canyon at 19 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Cold Springs 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 Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge?

10 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Koontz, James H. and Cynthia, House and Echo Methodist Church.

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: Cold Springs 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.