Columbia National Wildlife Refuge
Columbia National Wildlife Refuge is a scenic mixture of rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, and sagebrush grasslands. Formed by fire, ice, floods, and volcanic tempest, carved by periods of extreme violence of natural forces, the refuge lies in the middle of the Drumheller Channeled Scablands of central Washington. The area reveals a rich geologic history highlighted by periods of dramatic activity, each playing a major role in shaping the land. The northern half of the refuge, south of Potholes Reservoir, is a rugged jumble of cliffs, canyons, lakes, and remnants of lava flows. This part of the Scablands, known as the Drumheller Channels, is the most spectacularly eroded area of its size in the world and was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1986.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 29,046 acres |
| FWS region | Region 1 |
| Center point | 46.89° N, 119.28° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22) |
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.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 13.5 miHanford B Reactor ↗National Historic Landmark
- 1.7 miBeverly Railroad Bridge ↗Beverly, WA
- 7.3 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Washington
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Columbia National Wildlife Refuge?
29,046 acres.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Columbia National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Columbia National Wildlife Refuge in?
Washington.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Columbia National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.894° N, 119.276° W. Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Which national parks are near Columbia National Wildlife Refuge?
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Columbia National Wildlife Refuge?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Hanford B Reactor and Beverly Railroad Bridge.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Photograph: the image Wikidata records for this refuge (Q5149778), the item linked to its Wikipedia article. Author and license come from the file page on Wikimedia Commons.
- Description: Columbia 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.