Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge

About Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge

Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The Refuge contains a total of 16,570 acres and is located in Bennett County in southwestern South Dakota. It is the only refuge in South Dakota headquartered west of the Missouri River. The Refuge lies in the shallow Lake Creek valley on the northern edge of the Nebraska Sandhills and includes native sandhills, sub-irrigated meadows, impounded fresh water marshes, and tall and mixed grass prairie uplands. The Refuge serves as an important staging area for migrating waterfowl, Sandhill cranes, shorebirds, and grassland dependent migratory birds. One important role is to provide critical wintering habitat for the high plains trumpeter swan population. Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge is in the Central Flyway, which is one of four major migratory bird flyways in North America. It is known from historic records, that the Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge area was frequently visited and lived by various indigenous people during the 18th and 19th centuries; including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Arapahoe and Pawnee, to name a few. Although no prehistoric sites have been determined eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, future discoveries may change that situation. Part of Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge's history is tied to the work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration era of the mid-1930s. With the country experiencing severe unemployment, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, after only two days in office, created the Civilian Conservation Corps as a means to employ young men ages 18-25 to work in forests, parks, and rangelands. In addition, young men working under the Works Progress Administration built large structures including dams and levees to impound water and develop wetland habitat. These structures are still in use today! Wetlands on the Refuge are managed to provide both restin

How to Get There

Located about 15 miles northwest of the Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge, the town of Martin (pop. 1,150) is the nearest town to the Refuge. Martin is the county seat for Bennett County and offers many visitor services to make your stay more enjoyable. Included in these services are medical facilities, restaurants, motel lodging, and veterinary services. Several gas stations, a grocery store, and hardware stores, among others, are also available to help meet your needs during your visit. For further information, you may call the Martin City offices at (605) 685-6525 or e-mail them at martinsd@gwtc.net.Click here to view the general Refuge location. Please be advised that GPS directions may direct you to take roads that do not exist, or may not be public roads. Lacreek NWR is located about 120 miles southeast of Rapid City in southwestern South Dakota. If you are coming from the Rapid City area, there are several ways to get to the Refuge. First, you may take Interstate 90 east to Kadoka (exit 150). Turn right and proceed south on Highway 73 to the Highway 18 junction. From the junction, take a left and go about 1 mile to 231st Avenue; turn right on the gravel road. Head south 4 miles to the small town of Tuthill. Take a right on 293rd St. at Tuthill and go 1 mile. You will now be at the northeast corner of the Refuge -- look for the information kiosk. Take a left toward the kiosk on a gravel road, and travel about six miles to reach the Headquarters/Visitor Center. Once past

Plan Your Visit to Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Lacreek 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)