USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Oregon

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

On January 2, 2016, an armed group of right-wing militants seized and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, and continued to occupy it until law enforcement made a final arrest on February 11, 2016. Their leader was Ammon Bundy, who participated in the 2014 Bundy standoff at his father's Nevada ranch. Other members of the group were loosely affiliated with non-governmental militias and the sovereign citizen movement.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge188,147 acresUSFWSOR1 campground within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
3fires
active
Stubble · 6 mi from the center · 15,673 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateOregon
Size188,147 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 1
Center point43.0968, -118.8631
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22)

Boundary map

1 outline

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 →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 0 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

BLM · Inside
Page Springs Campground
Reservable37 sites

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Stubble

    6 mi from the center point · 15,673 acres · 93% contained

  • Wildfire
    Jackass Butte

    6 mi from the center point · 24,724 acres · 92% contained

  • Wildfire
    Second Flat

    46 mi from the center point · 105,854 acres · 99% 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 Register listings within 15 miles · 2 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?

188,147 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 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in?

Oregon.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Page Springs Campground. 1 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 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 43.097, -118.863. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Malheur National Wildlife Refuge right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Stubble at 6 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 22 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 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?

2 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Frenchglen Hotel and French, Pete, Round Barn.

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: Occupation of the Malheur 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.