Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Dakota and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Created in 1935, it is a wetland of international importance and a Globally Important Bird Area. Over 260 bird species are found in the refuge, including many migratory bird species and the world's largest breeding colony of Franklin's gulls.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | South Dakota |
| Size | 19,786 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 6 |
| Center point | 45.7857, -98.2414 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16) |
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
- 0 mi
- 0.7 miPfutzenreuter, George, House ↗Hecla, SD
- 5.6 miAurland United Norwegian Lutheran Church ↗Frederick, SD
- 7.6 miGeranen, Paul and Fredriika, Farm ↗Frederick, SD
- 8.5 miSavo Hall-Finnish National Society Hall ↗Savo Township, SD
- 9 miBrown Hall ↗Barnard, SD
- 9.1 miPlana School ↗Plana, SD
- 9.2 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
19,786 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 Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in?
South Dakota.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 45.786, -98.241. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
How dark is the night sky at Sand 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 Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
13 National Register listings within 15 miles, including South Dakota Dept. of Transportation Bridge No. 07-268-030 and Pfutzenreuter, George, House.
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: Sand 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.