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North Dakota

When to catch Long Lake Refugeat its best

Long Lake Refuge through the year: spring waterfowl and shorebirds (local timing: April through May) and wildflowers (local timing: April through August). Each has its own page with spots, sources and the latest reports.

About Long Lake Refuge

What it is
A wildlife refuge in North Dakota
A little history
It is both a Globally Important Bird Area and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site, serving more than 20,000 shorebirds a year for breeding and stopovers.President Herbert Hoover established it on February 25, 1932, as a sanctuary for migratory birds using the Central Flyway.
What you'll see
Spring waterfowl and shorebirds · usual peak April through MayWildflowers · April through August
Before you go
What should I bring to Long Lake Refuge? Water, food, binoculars, field guides, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent are all suggested.
Sources (2)

RIGHT NOW · OCT 1

  • Latest reportNo dated report this season; the posters below show each usual window.
  • This weekend (NWS)Sat mostly sunny, 66°F · Sun sunny, 62°F
  • Park alertsCheck the managing agency before you go

When are you going?

Fall at Long Lake Refuge

Good in fall

  • Best waterfowl and shorebird viewing

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

Next peak here after fall

BEST VIEWING · SPRING WATERFOWL AND SHOREBIRDSLong Lake RefugeSpring waterfowl and shorebirdsWildlife refugeApril through MayU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
Remind me →

Best spots

Where each event's source says to go
  • Butte overlook and Paul Van Ningen MemorialGood for spring waterfowl and shorebirds · wildflowersAbove Lake Unit 1, a wide view over the west end of the refuge, a mile north and a mile east of MoffitU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Unit 2 Marsh TrailGood for spring waterfowl and shorebirdsA two-track walking trail east of the historic stone residence, between Lake Unit 2 and the Unit 2 Marsh, for shorebirds and waterfowl when water levels allowU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Unit 2 walking trailGood for wildflowersOne-mile two-track between Lake Unit 2 and the Unit 2 Marsh, east of the 1930s stone residenceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Next 7 days at Long Lake Refuge

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodaySunny59° / 40°3% rain
  • FriMostly Cloudy60° / 46°10% rain
  • SatMostly Sunny66° / 41°9% rain
  • SunSunny62° / 43°–
  • MonSunny67° / 51°–
  • TueMostly Sunny72° / 48°1% rain
  • WedMostly Sunny67° / ––

Heads up: Windy (winds up to 23 mph): Friday, Friday Night, Saturday, Monday.

Today: sunrise 7:40 a.m., sunset 7:22 p.m., light until 7:52 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 67% lit (our calculation)

Long Lake Refuge in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
Long lines of cranes flying low over a lake under an orange sunset sky
Sandhill cranes flying over Long Lake, October 5, 2021. Photo: USFWS · public domain · resized
Tundra swans at Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Tundra swans at Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; photographer not identified on item page · public domain · resized

Questions people ask

When do the wildflowers bloom?

The flowering period runs April through August. Lavender-blue pasque flowers open on the hillsides in spring, sometimes in snow; summer brings narrow-leaved puccoon, western wallflower, scarlet mallow, purple prairie coneflower and wild prairie rose, North Dakota's state flower.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I pick the flowers?

No. Walking the refuge to see wildlife and plants is allowed, but collecting is prohibited.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge: Wildlife Watching ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Anything to watch out for?

Wood ticks in the grasslands from spring to mid-summer. Bring water, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Why is Long Lake Refuge's history tied to shorebirds?

It is both a Globally Important Bird Area and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site, serving more than 20,000 shorebirds a year for breeding and stopovers.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages; checked Sep 28