USFWS · Wisconsin

Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge

Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge is part of a large wetland complex on Lake Superior, near Ashland, Wisconsin. These coastal wetlands are a significant part of the wildlife habitat and aquatic resources of the south shore of Lake Superior.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Photo by I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license:, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons.
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateWisconsin
Size455 acres
FWS regionRegion 3
Center point46.59° N, 90.96° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23)

Boundary map

7 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 Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.31 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.08 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.62 inches of precipitationApril: 2.94 inches of precipitationMay: 3.63 inches of precipitationJune: 4.18 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.08 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.77 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.58 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.26 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.79 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.59 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 12.9°F averageFebruary: 16.5°F averageMarch: 27.2°F averageApril: 39.0°F averageMay: 51.4°F averageJune: 61.2°F averageJuly: 67.2°F averageAugust: 66.0°F averageSeptember: 58.0°F averageOctober: 45.0°F averageNovember: 31.8°F averageDecember: 19.7°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Ashland 3S, 4 miles from the center point at 826 feet, station USC00470347 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 33 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.

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
    Rx-West Church Windrows

    27 mi from the center point · 81 acres

  • Wildfire
    Redhouse

    28 mi from the center point · 22 acres

  • Wildfire
    Black River

    50 mi from the center point · 362 acres · 90% 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 · 20 in all · Register Atlas

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

Guidebooks for Wisconsin

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

  • Best Rail Trails Wisconsin
    Kevin Revolinski, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Hikes Madison, Wisconsin
    Johnny Molloy, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Rail-trails Michigan & Wisconsin
    Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2017
    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 Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge?

455 acres.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge in?

Wisconsin.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Whittlesey Creek 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 Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 46.595° N, 90.964° W. North Country National Scenic Trail is 19 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx-West Church Windrows at 27 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Which national parks are near Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge?

North Country National Scenic Trail (19 mi) and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (28 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge?

The National Register has 20 listings within 15 miles, including Beaser School and Old Ashland Post Office.

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 (Q7996932), the item linked to its Wikipedia article. Author and license come from the file page on Wikimedia Commons.
  • Description: Whittlesey Creek 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.