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A white trumpeter swan with wings spread, coming in for a landing

Photo: Jim Dostal/USFWS · Public Domain, cropped; resized

A trumpeter swan coming in to land at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (date not given; a wildlife photo, not the spring flowers)

Sherburne Refugewildlife

Wildlife refuge

At Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, the timing for wildlife comes in 2 separate phases, each its own display, neither a peak: Wildlife with young, June – August; and Migrant monarch butterflies refueling at flowers on their way to Mexico, September. Its usual window for this year has passed.

Updated

Sources for this timing ↓
Separate phases
  • June–AugustWildlife with youngJune – August
  • SeptemberMigrant monarch butterflies refueling at flowers on their way to MexicoSeptember
Each is its own display at its own spot: not one season, not a peak.

About Sherburne Refuge

What it is
A wildlife refuge in Minnesota
What you'll see
Young wildlife and monarchs · June – August
Before you go
Do I need a permit to photograph wildlife for my business? Not for commercial still photography without sets, props or models, as long as the images aren't used for promotion. Refuge rules still apply, and you can't block public spaces.What otter signs might I see in February? Long, straight slide tracks in the snow. They're signs of otters, not a promise of seeing one.Wildlife sanctuary: only the Wildlife Drive, trails, canoe route and fishing access points open
Sources (2)

Right now at Sherburne Refuge

Right now in Sherburne Refuge · October

  • Wildlife Drive open to cars (not during the November firearm deer season) · Apr–Nov
  • Staging sandhill cranes, usually best in the last two weeks of October · Oct
  • Fall colors at their peak: maples, sumac, oaks and aspen · Oct
  • Eagle's Nest Nature Store open Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (closed January to March) · Apr–Dec
  • Bald eagles and hawks migrating south · Oct
  • Service roads and off-trail hiking open, September 1 to February 28 · Sep–Feb

Next 7 days at Sherburne Refuge

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodayAreas Of Frost then Sunny63° / 37°10% rain
  • SatPartly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers65° / 47°49% rain
  • SunSunny64° / 39°–
  • MonSunny63° / 48°–
  • TueMostly Sunny71° / 52°3% rain
  • WedMostly Sunny70° / 49°4% rain
  • ThuMostly Sunny68° / –4% rain

Heads up: Windy (winds up to 20 mph): Saturday.

Today: sunrise 7:15 a.m., sunset 6:55 p.m., light until 7:24 p.m. · moon last quarter, 55% lit (our calculation)

Your guide to the area

Best spots and nearby places
  • Sherburne RefugeJune – AugustThis page
  • Rice Lake RefugeLocal timing: June through August75 mi

Where to watch

  • Black Bear Loop Trail and observation blind

    Best spot

    A one-mile accessible loop through oak savanna, prairie, forest and wetland, with an observation blind over School House Pool (first come, first served); starts at the parking lot on Black Bear Loop Access Road

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

  • Prairie’s Edge Wildlife Drive

    Best spot

    Seven miles through oak savanna, prairie and wetland to bike or drive (cars April 1 to November 30 as weather allows); purple and white asters bloom along it in September

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Worth the drive

Straight-line miles; roads are longer

The year at Sherburne Refuge

  • Woodpeckers drumming (January); great horned owls and bald eagles courting (February)Jan–Feb
  • Wildlife sanctuary: only the Wildlife Drive, trails, canoe route and fishing access points openMar–Aug
  • Red-winged blackbirds back in the wetlands; returning sandhill cranes bugleMar
  • Eagle's Nest Nature Store open Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (closed January to March)NowApr–Dec
  • Wildlife Drive open to cars (not during the November firearm deer season)NowApr–Nov
  • Loons and wood ducks arrive as the ice leaves; returning songbirds in full songApr
  • Best month for spring migratory birdsMay
  • First Canada goose goslings hatchMay
  • Biting insects: bug spray and long sleeves, June through mid-AugustJun–Aug
  • Wild lupine at peak bloom, early to mid-June, on the Prairie TrailJun
  • Loon chicks ride their parents' backs, fawns hide in the woods, and turtles lay eggs on the Wildlife Drive's sandy edgesJun
  • Black-eyed Susan, coneflower and prairie clover in the prairie openings; water lilies in the wetlandsJul
  • Monarch caterpillars feed on common milkweedJul
  • First blazing star and goldenrodAug
  • Grasses and leaves start drying as the fall color change subtly beginsAug
  • Asters along the Wildlife Drive and the Blue Hill TrailSep
  • Migrant monarchs sip nectar at flowers on their way to MexicoSep
  • Flocks of migrating white pelicans spiral overheadSep
  • Service roads and off-trail hiking open, September 1 to February 28NowSep–Feb
  • Staging sandhill cranes, usually best in the last two weeks of OctoberNowOct
  • Fall colors at their peak: maples, sumac, oaks and aspenNowOct
  • Bald eagles and hawks migrating southNowOct
  • Wildlife Drive closed to cars (still open to hiking, biking, snowshoeing and skiing), December 1 to March 31Dec–Mar

Sherburne Refuge in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
A white trumpeter swan with wings spread, coming in for a landing
A trumpeter swan coming in to land at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (date not given; a wildlife photo, not the spring flowers). Photo: Jim Dostal/USFWS · public domain · resized

Questions people ask

When is the best time to see wildlife at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge?

In 2 separate phases, each at its own spot: Wildlife with young, June – August and Migrant monarch butterflies refueling at flowers on their way to Mexico, September. They're separate displays, not one long season, and neither is a peak.

Is it the season at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge right now?

Not now: its usual wildlife window for this year has passed. Next time: Wildlife with young, June – August.

Is there a blind for watching young wildlife?

Yes. The wildlife observation blind off the Black Bear Loop looks over School House Pool; it's first come, first served.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where do monarchs refuel in September?

At flowers during the day. In September, look for purple and white asters in bloom along the Wildlife Drive and the Blue Hill Trail.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I fly a drone to film wildlife?

No. Launching, landing or disturbing wildlife with drones isn't allowed on the refuge, for fun or for business.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Do I need a permit to photograph wildlife for my business?

Not for commercial still photography without sets, props or models, as long as the images aren't used for promotion. Refuge rules still apply, and you can't block public spaces.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

What otter signs might I see in February?

Long, straight slide tracks in the snow. They're signs of otters, not a promise of seeing one.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Which turtles leave the wetlands in May?

Female Blanding's turtles, heading to upland nest sites. Give them room and don't disturb them.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

What small wildlife is on the plants in July?

Spittlebug nests, which the refuge calendar identifies as young plant-hoppers.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where are the best spots in Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge?

Black Bear Loop Trail and observation blind: a one-mile accessible loop through oak savanna, prairie, forest and wetland, with an observation blind over School House Pool (first come, first served); starts at the parking lot on Black Bear Loop Access Road; Prairie’s Edge Wildlife Drive: seven miles through oak savanna, prairie and wetland to bike or drive (cars April 1 to November 30 as weather allows); purple and white asters bloom along it in September.

Are there closures or permits to know about in Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge?

Wildlife sanctuary: only the Wildlife Drive, trails, canoe route and fishing access points open (Mar–Aug); Wildlife Drive closed to cars (still open to hiking, biking, snowshoeing and skiing), December 1 to March 31 (Dec–Mar).

What is Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge like through the year?

Wild lupine at peak bloom, early to mid-June, on the Prairie Trail (Jun), Black-eyed Susan, coneflower and prairie clover in the prairie openings; water lilies in the wetlands (Jul), First blazing star and goldenrod (Aug), Asters along the Wildlife Drive and the Blue Hill Trail (Sep), Wildlife sanctuary: only the Wildlife Drive, trails, canoe route and fishing access points open (Mar–Aug), Wildlife Drive open to cars (not during the November firearm deer season) (Apr–Nov), Best month for spring migratory birds (May), Biting insects: bug spray and long sleeves, June through mid-August (Jun–Aug), Staging sandhill cranes, usually best in the last two weeks of October (Oct), Fall colors at their peak: maples, sumac, oaks and aspen (Oct), Grasses and leaves start drying as the fall color change subtly begins (Aug), Red-winged blackbirds back in the wetlands; returning sandhill cranes bugle (Mar), Loons and wood ducks arrive as the ice leaves; returning songbirds in full song (Apr), Eagle's Nest Nature Store open Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (closed January to March) (Apr–Dec), First Canada goose goslings hatch (May), Loon chicks ride their parents' backs, fawns hide in the woods, and turtles lay eggs on the Wildlife Drive's sandy edges (Jun), Monarch caterpillars feed on common milkweed (Jul), Migrant monarchs sip nectar at flowers on their way to Mexico (Sep), Flocks of migrating white pelicans spiral overhead (Sep), Bald eagles and hawks migrating south (Oct), Woodpeckers drumming (January); great horned owls and bald eagles courting (February) (Jan–Feb), Wildlife Drive closed to cars (still open to hiking, biking, snowshoeing and skiing), December 1 to March 31 (Dec–Mar) and Service roads and off-trail hiking open, September 1 to February 28 (Sep–Feb).

How we know · Sources (4)

How we know

National Weather Service forecast and alerts (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Visit Us (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherburne NWR: Trails (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)

All our sources and how we use them →