Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge

About Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1968 to protect and manage habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Located seven miles south of Montpelier, the refuge encompasses 18,000 acres of cattail marsh, open water, and flooded meadows that are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge provides valuable habitat for waterfowl and colonial nesting water birds. Portions of the refuge include scattered grasslands and brush-covered mountain slopes.

How to Get There

The Refuge is located about 10 miles from Montpelier. To get to the Refuge from Montpelier, take Hwy 89 south for about 3 miles and turn left onto a gravel road. This turnoff is marked with brown informational signs. Continue straight for about 5 miles until you see the refuge entrance sign. Continue straight for 2 more miles, bearing left at the "Y" to access the Auto Tour Route. From the south, head north on Hwy 89 and turn right at the brown informational signs in Paris (E 2nd N Street). Travel on this gravel road for about 3 miles and the refuge entrance will be immediately to your right once you cross the Outlet Canal bridge. The Refuge manager is stationed on the US Forest Service side of the National California-Oregon Trail Center located at 322 North 4th St. in Montpelier, Idaho.

Plan Your Visit to Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Bear Lake 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)