USFWS · Montana

Swan River National Wildlife Refuge

Swan River National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,778-acre (720 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in Lake County of northwestern Montana. It is a unit of the National Bison Range Complex.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
Swan River National Wildlife Refuge
Photo by USFWS, in the public domain, from Wikimedia Commons.
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateMontana
Size1,937 acres
FWS regionRegion 6
Center point47.90° N, 113.86° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9)

Boundary map

2 outlines

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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Swan River National Wildlife Refuge20°30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 24.3°F averageFebruary: 27.0°F averageMarch: 35.4°F averageApril: 42.7°F averageMay: 51.2°F averageJune: 57.6°F averageJuly: 64.7°F averageAugust: 63.8°F averageSeptember: 54.5°F averageOctober: 43.4°F averageNovember: 32.2°F averageDecember: 25.3°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Swan Lake, 1 mile from the center point at 3,100 feet, station USC00248087 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

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.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

None of the 1 federal campground within ten miles sits inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-11-01
  • Prescribed
    Hh Betty Baptiste Hand Piles Rx

    16 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Sl Beaver Plie Rx

    37 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Gnp Apgar Hand Piles Rx

    43 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 · 2 in all · Register Atlas

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

Guidebooks for Montana

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

  • Camping Montana
    Kenneth L. Graham, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Backpacking Trips in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado
    Mike White and Douglas Lorain, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Moon Montana
    Carter G. Walker, 2019
    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 Swan River National Wildlife Refuge?

1,937 acres.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Swan River National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Swan River National Wildlife Refuge in?

Montana.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Swan River National Wildlife Refuge?

The refuge page says whether camping is allowed here. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Swan River National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 47.904° N, 113.858° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Swan River National Wildlife Refuge right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Hh Betty Baptiste Hand Piles Rx at 16 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there historic places near Swan River National Wildlife Refuge?

The National Register has 2 listings within 15 miles, including Swan River Bridge and Swan River Community Hall.

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.
  • Photograph: the image Wikidata records for this refuge (Q7653507), the item linked to its Wikipedia article. Author and license come from the file page on Wikimedia Commons.
  • Description: Swan River 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.