Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is a federal national wildlife refuge located in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. The refuge, formerly known as Walnut Creek, is named after Congressman Neal Edward Smith, who championed its creation. It seeks to restore the tallgrass prairie and oak savanna ecosystems that once covered most of Iowa. It has a herd of approximately 62 American bison and 19 elk. An initial group of six bison were released in 1996. The bison herd roams an approximately 800-acre enclosure (320 ha).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Iowa |
| Size | 6,172 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 3 |
| Center point | 41.5641, -93.2751 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25) |
Boundary map
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
- 5.3 miUniversalist Church ↗Mitchellville, IA
- 5.6 miHall, James Norman, House ↗Colfax, IA
- 6.2 miLong, J. G. and Regina, House ↗Prairie City, IA
- 6.5 miElliott Furniture Company ↗Des Moines, IA
- 6.6 mi
- 7.9 miCoal Creek Bridge ↗Carlisle, IA
- 10.1 miPalmyra Methodist Episcopal Church ↗Palmyra, IA
- 11.3 miRed Bridge ↗Monroe, IA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge?
6,172 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 Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in?
Iowa.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 41.564, -93.275. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
How dark is the night sky at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 25 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 Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge?
20 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Universalist Church and Hall, James Norman, House.
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: Neal Smith 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.