USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Colorado

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The refuge is located in the San Luis Valley south of the town of Monte Vista, Colorado in southeastern Rio Grande County, Colorado, in the watershed of the Rio Grande. It was established in 1953 by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to provide a habitat for wildlife, particularly waterfowl, in the San Luis Valley.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge16,250 acresUSFWSCO6 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
3fires
active
Blanca Wetlands Rx (prescribed burn) · 23 mi from the center · 208 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateColorado
Size16,250 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 6
Center point37.4881, -106.0852
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23)

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 →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 6 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 6 mi
Cathedral
Reservable22 sites
FS · 6 mi
Comstock
Reservable6 sites
FS · 6 mi
Ivy Creek
Reservable4 sites
FS · 6 mi
Rio Grande
Reservable7 sites
FS · 6 mi
Rock Creek
Reservable11 sites
FS · 8.8 mi
Rock Creek Campground
First-come10 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
  • Prescribed
    Blanca Wetlands Rx

    23 mi from the center point · 208 acres

  • Prescribed
    Wolf Creek Rx

    39 mi from the center point · 1 acres

  • Wildfire
    Swiss Roll

    39 mi from the center point · 775 acres · 0% 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 · 19 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge?

16,250 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 Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge in?

Colorado.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Cathedral, 6 miles out. 6 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 Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.488, -106.085. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Blanca Wetlands Rx at 23 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 23 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 Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge?

19 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Mt. Pleasant School and Us Post Office and Federal Building--Monte Vista Main.

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: Monte Vista 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.