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Cameron Prairie Refugewinter wildlife

Wildlife refuge

At Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, a winter home to thousands of ducks and geese, including green-winged teal, northern pintail, white-fronted and snow geese, per the Fish and Wildlife Service (a season, not a peak). Its usual window for this year has passed.

Updated

Sources for this timing ↓
Local timing
Winter
General timing for this place: not a peak date, and not a forecast.

About Cameron Prairie Refuge

What it is
A wildlife refuge in Louisiana
What you'll see
Winter ducks and geese · winter
Before you go
When is the refuge open? All activities are in daylight hours only.
Sources (1)

Your guide to the area

Best spots and nearby places
Places on this map, as a list
Map: approximate positions; state lines US Census; spot positions agency pages.

Where to watch

  • Pintail Wildlife Drive

    Best spot

    About two miles south of the visitor center; in fall and winter flocks of ducks and geese feed in the fields along the drive

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

  • Visitor center observation deck

    Best spot

    Wintering white-fronted and snow geese use the managed fields behind the visitor center

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Worth the drive

Straight-line miles; roads are longer

The year at Cameron Prairie Refuge

  • Migrating songbirds and shorebirds; alligators sunningspring and fall
  • Wading birds plentifulsummer
  • Thousands of ducks and geesewinter

Questions people ask

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

A winter home to thousands of ducks and geese, including green-winged teal, northern pintail, white-fronted and snow geese, per the Fish and Wildlife Service (a season, not a peak): winter. That's general timing for this place, not a peak date or a forecast.

Is it wildlife season at Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge right now?

Not now: its usual winter wildlife window for this year has passed. Next time: winter, local timing.

Where are the ducks and geese at Cameron Prairie?

Along Pintail Wildlife Drive, about two miles south of the visitor center: in fall and winter flocks feed in the fields beside it.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, cameron prairie national wildlife refuge general brochure (PDF) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

When is the refuge open?

All activities are in daylight hours only.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, cameron prairie national wildlife refuge general brochure (PDF) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Are there alligators?

Yes, and they bite: keep yourself and pets away from them. They're easiest to see sunning in spring and fall.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, cameron prairie national wildlife refuge general brochure (PDF) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How old is the refuge?

It was created in 1988, the 447th national wildlife refuge.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where are the best spots in Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge?

Pintail Wildlife Drive: about two miles south of the visitor center; in fall and winter flocks of ducks and geese feed in the fields along the drive; Visitor center observation deck: wintering white-fronted and snow geese use the managed fields behind the visitor center.

What is Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge like through the year?

Thousands of ducks and geese (Dec–Feb), Migrating songbirds and shorebirds; alligators sunning (Mar–May) and Wading birds plentiful (Jun–Aug).

How we know · Sources (4)

How we know

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, cameron prairie national wildlife refuge general brochure (PDF) (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kiosk (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Observation Deck (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2)

All our sources and how we use them →