| Area: 86,500 Acres | ||
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© 2008 California Watchable Wildlife and Blue Cat Studio, Inc.
| Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges - Site # 104 | |||
| The Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, the nation's first waterfowl refuge set, was aside in 1908. | |||
 | Premium - the most significant sites, worth visiting if you have limited time. Premium sites have high wildlife values year-round, staff on site, interpretive programs and/or displays, and well-developed facilities. | ||
| Background: | Lower Klamath, the nation's first waterfowl refuge set aside in 1908, and Tule Lake are two of six Klamath Basin refuges. A patchwork of ponds, marshes, and farmlands shelter one to million migratory waterfowl, with huge flocks of northern pintails, American wigeons, snow geese, and cackling Canada geese, the smallest species of Canada geese. At least 170 species breed here, including American white pelicans, grebes, cinnamon teal, and threatened greater sandhill cranes. The two refuges claim the largest concentration of wintering bald eagles in the lower forty-eight states. The Refuges are seperated by Sheepy Ridge, high country used by birds of prey, pronghorn and mule deer. Tule Lake shares a boundary with Lava Beds National Monument, where desert plateaus, rugged craters, and lava tubes and caves offer vastly different wildlife viewing. | ||
| Viewing Tips: | Excellent viewing opportunities exist for many of the more than 300 bird species. From October to March, witness spectacular viewing of thousands of tundra swans, snow and Ross's geese and white-fronted geese, along with hundreds of bald eagles from December to March. Although much fewer in numbers, golden eagles can be observed year round. View Barrow's and common goldeneye in winter. High numbers of rough-legged hawks and northern harriers are present from November through March. Avid searchers can seek out prairie falcons year round. Spring brings breeding white-faced ibis, common and snowy egrets, western, Clark's and eared grebes and American white pelicans. Other species of interest seen on the Refuges seasonally include yellow-headed and tricolored blackbird, sora and Virginia rail, American avocet, black-necked stilt, Wilson's phalarope, Forster's and Caspian tern, barn owl and California towhee. Pronghorn antelope are best seen in spring and summer. Excellent roads and auto tour routes. | ||
| Festivals & Events: | | ||
| How to Get There: | From Interstate 5, take Highway 97 north to Highway 161. Head east nine miles to Lower Klamath auto tour. To reach Tule Lake, continue on Highway 161 for another eight miles to Hill Road. Turn south and drive four miles to visitor center. | ||
| Contact Information | |||
| Managing Agency: | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service | ||
| Agency Site URL: | http://www.fws.gov/klamathbasinrefuges/ | ||
| Physical Address: | , CA |
Mailing Address: | , CA |
| Manager Phone: | |||
| Site Phone: | (530) 667-2231 | ||
| County: | |||