Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

About Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931 to: (1) provide habitat for pronghorn, the primary species, and populations of native secondary species (e.g., mule deer, sage-grouse, and song birds) in such numbers as may be necessary to maintain a balanced wildlife population; (2) conserve listed endangered or threatened fish, wildlife, and plants; and (3) use as an inviolate migratory bird sanctuary. Today, the Refuge protects 572,896 acres of wildlife habitat in the northwestern corner of Nevada and is home to over 270 species of wildlife.The high desert is characterized by wide-open spaces and a variety of landforms. The two most common landforms include narrow canyons that empty into rolling valleys with no drainage outlets to the ocean, and broad flat tables that end abruptly in vertical cliffs. The elevations of these landforms range from a high of 7,294 feet on Catnip Mountain, to a low of approximately 4,200 feet on the northeastern boundary. The area generally decreases in altitude from west to east.The Refuge currently represents one of the last reasonably intact examples of a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem in the Great Basin. It provides a variety of critical habitats for a host of species endemic to sagebrush-steppe, including pronghorn, mule deer, greater sage-grouse, pygmy rabbit, migratory birds, desert fishes, and a range of rare plants and invertebrates.

How to Get There

*Please be advised that there is little to no cell reception at the Refuge. The best practice is to download an offline map to navigate the Refuge. Apps, like Avenza, work well while visiting the region.From Reno (325 miles) via Lakeview, Oregon (best road conditions—paved roads):1) Follow Highway 395 north for 235 miles to Lakeview, OR (gas, groceries, restaurants, hotels, hardware, vehicle repairs, hospital)2) Continue following Highway 395 north from Lakeview for 5 miles.3) Following signs for the Warner Mountain Ski area, Adel and Winnemucca, Nevada, turn east onto Highway 140.4) Follow Highway 140 east for 85 miles.5) Follow signs for Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge Dufurrena Field Station, turning south onto Virgin Valley Road.Alternate Route From Reno (224.5 miles) via Alturas and Cedarville, California (paved and graded gravel roads—NOT MAINTAINED IN WINTER):1) Follow Highway 395 north for 181 miles to Alturas, CA (gas, groceries, restaurants, hotels, hardware, and vehicle repairs).2) Continue following Highway 395 north from Alturas for six miles to the junction with Highway 299.3) Following signs for Cedarville, turn east on Highway 2994) Follow Highway 299 east for 16.5 miles.5) Continue east through Cedarville (gas, restaurant, grocery, hotels, towing service, health clinic) on Highway 299 (becoming Nevada Route 8A- graded gravel road NOT MAINTAINED IN WINTER).6) Follow Highway 299/ Road 8A for 21 miles to Road 8A and Road 34 Junction and signs for SHELDON WILDLI

Plan Your Visit to Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)