USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Washington, Oregon

McNary National Wildlife Refuge

McNary National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve, one of the national wildlife refuges operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Extending along the east bank of the Columbia River in southeastern Washington, from the confluence of the Snake River to the mouth of the Walla Walla River, and downstream into Oregon, McNary NWR is located in rural Burbank, but very close to the rapid development of the Tri-Cities. In fact, the refuge meets the definition of an "urban refuge". Few areas in North America support waterfowl populations in the extraordinary numbers found here. There are spectacular concentrations of Canada geese, mallards, and other waterfowl. More than half the mallards in the Pacific Flyway overwinter at some time in this portion of the Columbia River Basin.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge15,820 acresUSFWSWAOR5 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
4fires
active
Nine Canyon · 4 mi from the center · 600 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StatesWashington, Oregon
Size15,820 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 1
Center point46.1185, -118.9551
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 34)

Boundary map

20 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. 5 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

USACE · 0.2 mi
Hood Park
Reservable68 sites
USACE · 5.9 mi
Charbonneau Park And Campground
Reservable54 sites
USACE · 7.3 mi
Mcnary Beach - Sockeye Shelter
Reservable1 site
USACE · 8.8 mi
Spillway Park - Chinook Shelter
Reservable1 site
USACE · 8.9 mi
West Park
Reservable2 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
    Nine Canyon

    4 mi from the center point · 600 acres

  • Wildfire
    North Cayuse

    38 mi from the center point · 4,887 acres · 97% contained

  • Wildfire
    Hagen

    44 mi from the center point · 61,381 acres · 87% contained

  • Wildfire
    Paradise

    48 mi from the center point · 9,656 acres · 86% 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 Geologic Trail · 15 mi
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail
National Historic Site · 17 mi
Whitman Mission National Historic Site
National Register listings within 15 miles · 16 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is McNary National Wildlife Refuge?

15,820 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 McNary National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is McNary National Wildlife Refuge in?

The boundary crosses Washington and Oregon.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at McNary National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Hood Park, 0.2 miles out. 5 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 McNary National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 46.118, -118.955. Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail is 15 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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

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

Source: Fire nearby

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

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 34 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near McNary National Wildlife Refuge?

Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail (15 mi) and Whitman Mission National Historic Site (17 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near McNary National Wildlife Refuge?

16 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Morningstar Baptist Church and Kurtzman Park Mini Station.

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: McNary 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.