Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge
The Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge in southwestern Klamath County on the shores of Upper Klamath Lake in Oregon. It was established in 1928 and contains some 14,400 acres (5,800 ha) of freshwater marshes. It is accessible only by boat from Rocky Point Resort and Rocky Point boat launch, Malone springs, and a few neighboring ramps. The refuge is part of the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is administered along with the other refuges of the complex from common offices in Tulelake, California.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 28,759 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 8 |
| Center point | 42.5426, -122.0227 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
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. 6 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.
Trails
2 named Forest Service trails start or end within 3.8 miles of the center point, 6 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Rock Creek | 3.5 | |
| Malone Boat Launch | 2.1 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet. The radius is the one a circle of this unit’s acreage would have, measured from the center point, so a trail listed here can fall outside the boundary.
Fire nearby
- WildfireWrights Spring
16 mi from the center point · 55,134 acres · 98% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.3 miPoint Comfort Lodge ↗Klamath Falls, OR
- 3.9 miFort Klamath Site ↗Fort Klamath, OR
- 5.2 miBlackburn Sanitarium ↗Klamath Falls, OR
- 5.5 miKlamath County Armory & Auditorium ↗Klamath Falls, OR
- 5.5 miOregon Bank Building ↗Klamath Falls, OR
- 5.5 miRichardson--Ulrich House ↗Klamath Falls, OR
- 5.6 miValley Hospital ↗Klamath Falls, OR
- 5.6 miBenson, Judge Henry L., House ↗Klamath Falls, OR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
28,759 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 Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in?
Oregon.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Odessa Picnic Site, 0.2 miles out. 6 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 Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.543, -122.023. Crater Lake National Park is 21 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Wrights Spring at 16 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 14 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
Crater Lake National Park (21 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
19 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Point Comfort Lodge and Fort Klamath Site.
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: Upper Klamath 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.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched by trail endpoints falling inside a circle of this unit’s acreage around the center point.
- 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.