Sacramento Valley National Wildlife Refuge

It's almost been a year since our last Meetup. This event is rain or shine.

It may be foggy in the early morning. Keep up to date on the weather.

So get your long lens ready and let's start the new year with an annual visit. Don't have one, rent one and join us! The refuge always offers some great shots of bald eagles, fox, hawks, snow geese, ducks, and more.

So make your plans now.

Bring lunch, drinks, snacks, etc.
The Visitors center will be closed, but the bathrooms will be open.

Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
Designated as a Globally Important Bird Area

Wildlife: One of California's premier waterfowl refuges. Waterfowl are present from September through March. View hundreds of thousands of geese and ducks from November through January. Many other birds and mammals provide year-round viewing.

Habitat: 10,819 acres of seasonal marsh, permanent ponds, and uplands in the heart of the Sacramento Valley.

Recreation: The Refuge is open daily from one-hour before sunrise to one-hour after sunset. Numerous opportunities are available. Including the popular six-mile auto tour and two-mile walking trail, which meander along marshes and riparian areas. The auto tour provides visitors with great views of wildlife. Visitors are required to stay in their vehicles to prevent disturbance to the wildlife while on the auto tour but can get out at three stop and stretch locations including the platform which is located about half way on the tour.

Special Note: The Sacramento NWR is the headquarters for the Sacramento NWR Complex. It is a great place to begin your visit. The refuge collects a $6 day use fee to pay for visitor facilities and wildlife habitat improvements. Holders of a Federal Duck Stamp ($25) or an America the Beautiful - Interagency Annual, Senior, Access or Volunteer Pass (or the past equivalent Golden Age Pass) enter free. They also offer a $12 annual pass for the frequent visitor. (Prices subject to change without notice).

Directions: From Interstate 5 at Williams, continue north on the Interstate for approximately 20 miles, exit at Road 68. At the Road 68 and Highway 99W interchange, turn north and travel approximately one and one-half miles to the Refuge entrance. For southbound travelers, exit Interstate 5 at County Road 57. Turn east over the overpass to Highway 99W. Drive approximately four and one-half miles south to the Refuge entrance. Map with driving directions http://https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Sacramento (please note: putting the address below into Google, or your GPS typically does not take you to the correct location).