Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeast Idaho, seven miles (11 km) south of Montpelier. Surrounded by mountains, it lies in Bear Lake Valley at an elevation ranging from 5,925 feet (1,806 m) on the marsh to 6,800 feet (2,100 m) on the rocky slopes of Merkley Mountain. The refuge office is located in Montpelier.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Idaho |
| Size | 18,273 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 1 |
| Center point | 42.1663, -111.3171 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 7 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 1.1 miReam, William and Nora, House ↗Dingle, ID
- 1.5 mi
- 1.5 mi
- 1.6 miGrunder Cabin and Outbuildings ↗Paris, ID
- 1.7 miInnes, Kate, House ↗Paris, ID
- 1.7 miKeller House and Derick ↗Paris, ID
- 1.7 miTueller, Jacob, Sr., House ↗Paris, ID
- 1.7 miHoffman Barn ↗Paris, ID
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
18,273 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in?
Idaho.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is St. Charles Campground, 4.6 miles out. 7 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.166, -111.317. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
How dark is the night sky at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 16 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
87 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Ream, William and Nora, House and Linvall, J. L., House and Outbuilding.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Description: Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.