USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Minnesota

Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, located in central Minnesota, USA, was established in 1992 to preserve a large, natural wetland complex. It is an essential stop for many species of migrating birds. Located within a large watershed that includes Rice, Skunk and Mud Lakes, Platte and Skunk Rivers, Rice and Buckman Creeks, and sedge meadow wetlands, it harbors one of the largest nesting populations of greater sandhill cranes in Minnesota. Habitats include native tallgrass prairie, oak savanna and wetlands with wild rice stands. With a total authorized acquisition boundary of 13,540 acres (54.8 km2) encompassing this important wetland complex and adjacent uplands, the refuge exists as scattered parcels totaling about 2,000 acres (8.1 km2). Existing ownership lies in Little Falls and Agram townships in Morrison County.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge2,204 acresUSFWSMN
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateMinnesota
Size2,204 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 3
Center point45.9322, -94.2520
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16)

Boundary map

12 outlines

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.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 14 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?

2,204 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 Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in?

Minnesota.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 45.932, -94.252. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 16 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?

14 National Register listings within 15 miles, including St. Joseph's Church--Catholic and Warren, William, Two Rivers House Site and McDougall, Peter, Farmstead.

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: Crane Meadows 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.