Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge
Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge is a 0.57 acre National Wildlife Refuge in central Minnesota. The refuge consists solely of two small islands in Mille Lacs Lake, and is the smallest National Wildlife Refuge in the United States. It was created on May 14, 1915, to preserve breeding habitat for several bird species. The islands are one of only four breeding colonies of common terns, a threatened species in Minnesota. Other native species breeding within the refuge include ring-billed and herring gulls and double-crested cormorants.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Minnesota |
| Size | 0.3 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 3 |
| Center point | 46.1517, -93.6447 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 6.3 miOnamia Municipal Hall ↗Onamia, MN
- 8.3 miBridge No. 3355--Kathio Township ↗Kathio Township, MN
- 11.9 miSt. Alban's Bay Culvert at Mille Lacs Lake ↗Garrison, MN
- 12.8 miBridge No. 5265--Garrison ↗Garrison, MN
- 13.1 miGarrison Concourse ↗Garrison, MN
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?
0.3 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 Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in?
Minnesota.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.152, -93.645. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
How dark is the night sky at Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 7 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 Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge?
5 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Onamia Municipal Hall and Bridge No. 3355--Kathio Township.
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: Mille Lacs 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.