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When to catch Flint Hills Refugeat its best

Flint Hills Refuge through the year: spring migration (local timing: April and May are the best time of year) and winter wildlife (local timing: November, when numbers peak). Each has its own page with spots, sources and the latest reports.

RIGHT NOW · SEP 30

  • Latest reportNo dated report this season; the posters below show each usual window.
  • This weekend (NWS)Sat sunny, 69°F · Sun sunny, 73°F
  • Park alertsCheck the managing agency before you go

When are you going?

Fall at Flint Hills Refuge

Good in fall

  • Ducks and geese in the thousands, peaking in November

From each place's own sources; no peak claimed.

Best spots

Where each event's source says to go

Spring migration

  • Townsite TrailAn easy 0.8-mile walk (about 30 minutes) through woods along the Neosho River just north of refuge headquarters, on land that was once part of the town of HartfordU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Burgess Marsh TrailThe first trail you pass coming onto the refuge: a 0.16-mile accessible concrete path with a boardwalk raised into the marsh; look for songbirds and woodpeckers along the shaded path, and wading birds, waterfowl and shorebirds in the marshU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Winter wildlife

  • Burgess Marsh TrailThe first trail you pass coming onto the refuge: a short, easy concrete path (about 0.16 mile) with a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk raised into the marsh, where wading birds, waterfowl and shorebirds feedU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Dove Roost TrailA 0.7-mile lollipop loop around Dove Roost Pond on the northeast side of the Neosho River, reaching the western end of John Redmond Reservoir; its rocky Eagle Point is a good lookout for eagle watchers in winterU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Next 7 days at Flint Hills Refuge

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodayChance Showers And Thunderstorms77° / 65°82% rain
  • ThuShowers And Thunderstorms72° / 57°85% rain
  • FriSlight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny66° / 51°21% rain
  • SatSunny69° / 52°4% rain
  • SunSunny73° / 49°–
  • MonSunny70° / 50°–
  • TueSunny73° / 55°2% rain

Today: sunrise 7:19 a.m., sunset 7:10 p.m., light until 7:36 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 78% lit (our calculation)

Nearby, and when they peak

Straight-line miles; roads are longer

Towns nearby

Straight-line miles; each town page has frost dates and its nature year

Flint Hills Refuge in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
A flock of ducks flying low over wetland at Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge
Ducks in flight at Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge during a spring migration (the Fish and Wildlife Service item is titled "Flint Hills Spring Migration"; no date given). Photo: Nova Clarke/USFWS · public domain · resized

Questions people ask

Why might I see smoke in spring?

Spring is when prescribed fire season begins on the refuge; the smoke can be seen for miles.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is the auto tour loop always open?

Not always. The loop, in the refuge's Indian Hill Section, can close, so check its current status with the refuge office before you go.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Auto Tour ↗ (opens in a new tab)

What if a road is flooded?

Don't drive through it: driving through flooded roadways is prohibited. Park no more than one vehicle width from the edge of the road, without blocking traffic or gates.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Rules and Policies ↗ (opens in a new tab)

What does April bring?

Returning warblers, migrating white pelicans and arriving shorebirds; the refuge gives no single peak date for all three.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages; checked Sep 28