USFWS · National wildlife refuge · North Dakota

Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge

The Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and extends from the Canada–United States border to near the town of Kenmare, North Dakota along Des Lacs Lake. The refuge was established in 1935 and includes 19,500 acres (78.9 km2). The refuge is considered to be one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the U.S., with tens of thousands of birds using the refuge for migration and breeding. The refuge is also home to elk, moose, bison and pronghorn.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge19,584 acresUSFWSND
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateNorth Dakota
Size19,584 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 6
Center point48.7993, -102.1229
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19)

Boundary map

2 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 · 4 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

19,584 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 Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in?

North Dakota.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 48.799, -102.123. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 19 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 Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

4 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Our Savior's Scandinavian Lutheran Church and Burke County Courthouse.

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: Des Lacs 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.