Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in Bonneville and Caribou counties in southeastern Idaho. It has the largest hardstem bulrush marsh in North America. Located in a high mountain valley near Soda Springs, the refuge and surrounding mountains offer scenic vistas, wildflowers, and fall foliage displays. Lands adjacent to the 19,400-acre (79 km2) refuge are primarily wet meadows and grasslands. The refuge provides breeding habitat for species of mammals including moose, elk, mule deer, muskrat, badger, and weasel.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Idaho |
| Size | 20,125 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 1 |
| Center point | 43.0733, -111.4309 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17) |
Boundary map
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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 3 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
- PrescribedFall Creek Rx
15 mi from the center point
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.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
20,125 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 Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge in?
Idaho.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Cutthroat Trout Campground, 0.7 miles out. 3 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 Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.073, -111.431. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Fall Creek Rx at 15 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 17 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
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: Grays 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.