USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Washington

Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in southwest Washington state, within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The refuge provides a variety of habitats including riparian wetlands, Columbia River riparian corridor blocks, transitional woodlands from lower elevation willows, and cottonwoods to mid-elevation old-growth fir and cedar with associated native understory shrubs, open meadows, and numerous streams and seeps.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge571 acresUSFWSWA2 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
4fires
active
High Lava · 19 mi from the center · 2,899 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateWashington
Size571 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 1
Center point45.6052, -122.0782
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 8)

Boundary map

5 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 →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 2 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 6.6 mi
Eagle Creek Overlook Grp Site
Reservable1 site
FS · 6.9 mi
Eagle Creek Campground
Reservable17 sites

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
    High Lava

    19 mi from the center point · 2,899 acres · 60% contained

  • Wildfire
    The Narrows

    32 mi from the center point · 305 acres · 98% contained

  • Wildfire
    Grasshopper

    37 mi from the center point · 93,996 acres · 98% contained

  • Wildfire
    Austin

    41 mi from the center point · 12,881 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 Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historic Site · 27 mi
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
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 Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

571 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 Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge in?

Washington.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Eagle Creek Overlook Grp Site, 6.6 miles out. 2 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 Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 45.605, -122.078. Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is 27 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge right now?

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

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 8 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (27 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?

14 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Bonneville Dam Historic District (Boundary Increase) and Graf, Andreas, House.

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: Franz Lake 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.