USFWS · National wildlife refuge · California

Modoc National Wildlife Refuge

Modoc National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in northeastern California. It is next to the South Fork of the Pit River in Modoc County, southeast of Alturas.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateCalifornia
Size7,169 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 8
Center point41.4582, -120.5228
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 30)

Boundary map

3 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.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Adin Airport Rx

    29 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.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 4 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?

7,169 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 Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Modoc National Wildlife Refuge in?

California.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 41.458, -120.523. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Adin Airport Rx at 29 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

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

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 30 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 Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?

4 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Nco Railway Depot.

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: Modoc 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.