USFWS · Iowa

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.

National Wildlife Refuge6,172 acresUSFWSIA
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateIowa
Size6,172 acres
FWS regionRegion 3
Center point41.56° N, 93.28° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25)

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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.02 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.35 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.31 inches of precipitationApril: 3.84 inches of precipitationMay: 4.78 inches of precipitationJune: 5.60 inches of precipitationJuly: 3.85 inches of precipitationAugust: 4.22 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.16 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.89 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.94 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.61 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 21.4°F averageFebruary: 25.8°F averageMarch: 38.5°F averageApril: 50.4°F averageMay: 60.9°F averageJune: 70.2°F averageJuly: 73.7°F averageAugust: 71.7°F averageSeptember: 64.3°F averageOctober: 52.0°F averageNovember: 38.3°F averageDecember: 27.0°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Des Moines 17 E, 1 mile from the center point at 921 feet, station USW00054902 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 37 inches a year.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 20 in all · Register Atlas

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

Guidebooks for Iowa

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking Iowa
    Elizabeth Corcoran Hill and Kate Corcoran, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Rail-trails Iowa & Missouri
    Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes des Moines
    Michael Ream, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge?

6,172 acres.

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° N, 93.275° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Are there historic places near Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge?

The National Register has 20 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 and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
  • 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.