Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge
Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge is located in the center of the U.S. state of Montana. The refuge has numerous lakes and extensive marshlands along Willow Creek, which provide nesting habitat for over a hundred bird species. The refuge is managed from the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and is normally unstaffed and has few visitor improvements. The refuge consists of three discontinuous areas; the Lake Mason area which has seasonal wetlands, the North section consisting primarily of uplands and the Willow Creek section which was set aside to protect habitat for the mountain plover.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Montana |
| Size | 16,780 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 6 |
| Center point | 46.6455, -108.7624 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25) |
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.
Fire nearby
- WildfireOld Divide
34 mi from the center point · 62 acres
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
- 6.8 miRoundup Central School ↗Roundup, MT
- 6.9 miSt. Benedict's Catholic School ↗Roundup, MT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge?
16,780 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 Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge in?
Montana.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.645, -108.762. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Old Divide at 34 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 25 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge?
2 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Roundup Central School and St. Benedict's Catholic School.
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: Lake Mason 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.