USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Minnesota

Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge

Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge is a 0.57 acre National Wildlife Refuge in central Minnesota. The refuge consists solely of two small islands in Mille Lacs Lake, and is the smallest National Wildlife Refuge in the United States. It was created on May 14, 1915, to preserve breeding habitat for several bird species. The islands are one of only four breeding colonies of common terns, a threatened species in Minnesota. Other native species breeding within the refuge include ring-billed and herring gulls and double-crested cormorants.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge0.3 acresUSFWSMN
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateMinnesota
Size0.3 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 3
Center point46.1517, -93.6447
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7)

Boundary map

2 outlines

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.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 5 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

0.3 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 Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in?

Minnesota.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 46.152, -93.645. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 7 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?

5 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Onamia Municipal Hall and Bridge No. 3355--Kathio Township.

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: Mille Lacs 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.