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Nebraska

When to catch Crescent Lake Refugeat its best

Crescent Lake Refuge through the year: wildflowers (local timing: bloom in June) and fall waterfowl (usually: November). Each has its own page with spots, sources and the latest reports.

About Crescent Lake Refuge

What it is
A wildlife refuge in Nebraska
A little history
To keep a representative sample of native prairie and its wildlife in this part of the Nebraska Sandhills.
What you'll see
Wildflowers · bloom in JuneFall waterfowl · usual peak November
Before you go
When is it open? The refuge is open sunrise to sunset. The refuge office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays.
Sources (2)

RIGHT NOW · OCT 1

  • Latest reportNo dated report this season; the posters below show each usual window.
  • This weekend (NWS)Sat sunny, 81°F · Sun sunny, 72°F
  • Park alertsCheck the managing agency before you go

When are you going?

Fall at Crescent Lake Refuge

Best spots

Where each event's source says to go
  • Self-guided auto tour routeGood for wildflowersThe refuge's suggested first stop. Roads here are gravel and one-lane pavement with a 35 mph limit, and the refuge is open sunrise to sunsetU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Nature TrailGood for wildflowers · fall waterfowlThe 2.07-mile trail on the refuge's trails page; hiking is allowed in all areas open to the public, and two-track mowed trails lead through the refugeU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • The self-guided auto tour routeGood for fall waterfowlThe refuge's suggested place to start a visitU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Next 7 days at Crescent Lake Refuge

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodayMostly Sunny68° / 55°6% rain
  • FriSunny73° / 50°–
  • SatSunny81° / 48°–
  • SunSunny72° / 51°2% rain
  • MonSunny79° / 56°1% rain
  • TueMostly Sunny82° / 53°3% rain
  • WedSunny78° / ––

Heads up: Windy (winds up to 20 mph): Friday, Friday Night.

Today: sunrise 6:47 a.m., sunset 6:33 p.m., light until 7:01 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 67% lit (our calculation)

Worth the drive, 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

Crescent Lake Refuge in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
Tall golden grass with scattered yellow flowers in front of rolling Sandhills
Prairie grassland at Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, with a few yellow flowers (date not given; not a photo of the June bloom). Photo: USFWS · public domain · resized

Questions people ask

Can I drive the refuge roads right now?

Take care: as of September 2026 the refuge warns that after a recent wildfire and extreme dry conditions, its trails and roads may be impassable even with four-wheel drive. Use extreme caution if you leave the county roads.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Crescent Lake NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

When is it open?

The refuge is open sunrise to sunset. The refuge office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Crescent Lake NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I pick the flowers?

No. Collecting plants, animals, antlers, minerals and artifacts is prohibited on the refuge.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Crescent Lake NWR: Rules and Policies ↗ (opens in a new tab)

What is blowout penstemon?

The refuge's only endangered plant, found here in 1987. It fell from 2,058 plants to 329 by 2006; transplanting brought it back to over 3,600 by 2018, and that work is still going on.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Crescent Lake NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages; checked Sep 29