USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Montana

Ul Bend National Wildlife Refuge

UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge is a 56,048 acres (22,682 ha) protected area that is located in central Montana, United States. The refuge, located at the extreme southernmost tip of Phillips County, is managed and bordered on three sides by the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and the Fort Peck Reservoir on the Missouri River. The refuge is managed as part of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Complex by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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
StateMontana
Size55,779 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 6
Center point47.5917, -107.8957
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23)

Boundary map

1 outline

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
  • Wildfire
    Chamberlin Reservoir

    19 mi from the center point · 94 acres

  • Wildfire
    Blue Ridge - Garfield

    20 mi from the center point · 26 acres

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.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Ul Bend National Wildlife Refuge?

55,779 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 Ul Bend National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Ul Bend National Wildlife Refuge in?

Montana.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Ul Bend National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 47.592, -107.896. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Ul Bend National Wildlife Refuge right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Chamberlin Reservoir at 19 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Ul Bend 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

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: UL Bend 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.