Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Bald Eagle Winter Concentrations

The basin hosts the lower 48's largest wintering bald eagle gatherings, with hundreds roosting and hunting amid refuge marshes. Sp…

Sandhill Crane Staging Grounds

Tule Lake draws massive sandhill crane flocks for rest and fueling, their bugling calls echoing over wetlands in a signature basin…

Lower Klamath Historic Wetland Trails

Explore the nation's first waterfowl refuge, established 1908, via dikes and paths revealing drained marsh rebirth and diverse hab…

Peak fall concentrations exceed one million ducks and geese across the refuges, transforming skies into avian rivers along the Pacific Flyway's core corridor. This spectacle defines the basin's role as North America's premier waterfowl stopover.

The basin hosts the lower 48's largest wintering bald eagle gatherings, with hundreds roosting and hunting amid refuge marshes. Spot them from auto tours at Tule Lake and Lower Klamath during peak season.

Tule Lake draws massive sandhill crane flocks for rest and fueling, their bugling calls echoing over wetlands in a signature basin migration ritual. Witness dawn fly-outs from prime blinds. Fall/Spring

Explore the nation's first waterfowl refuge, established 1908, via dikes and paths revealing drained marsh rebirth and diverse habitats from open water to sagebrush.

Drive 10-mile loops through 39,000 acres of prime bird habitat, scanning lava tube caves and marshes for pelicans, grebes, and swans unique to this drained lake basin. Fall/Spring

Kayak Hanks Marsh and lake edges for intimate views of breeding waterbirds in this 1928 refuge unit, accessing secluded bulrush zones closed to motors. Spring/Summer

Observe herons, egrets, and pelicans nesting in vast marshes, a key breeding ground amid the refuge complex's coniferous backdrops.

Trek sagebrush and juniper grasslands for quail, hawks, and songbirds in this under-visited Oregon gem, contrasting the basin's wetland focus. Spring/Fall

Watch American white pelicans loaf and fish in shallow lakes, a basin stronghold for this species amid grassy meadows.

Dive into interactive displays, videos, and live programs at Tulelake headquarters, unpacking the basin's 6-million-bird historic peaks and refuge missions.

Stake out hidden blinds for close-up shots of foraging flocks, capturing the refuge's dawn chorus in golden light.

Cacophonous snow goose waves blanket Tule Lake fields, a Pacific Flyway hallmark drawing ornithologists to this refuge.

Chain-drive routes linking all six refuges, revealing wetland-to-upland gradients from California lowlands to Oregon highlands. Fall/Spring

Wade or boardwalk through shallow marshes evoking the basin's pre-drainage glory, spotting rails and bitterns in primeval habitat.

Join citizen science tallies tracking 433 species, contributing to basin migration data from refuge hotspots.

Scan Upper Klamath prairies from 1928 ranch sites, blending cultural history with eagle and waterfowl views.

Peer into rimrock caves and cliffs for swallows, falcons, and ravens amid the refuge's volcanic terrain.

Listen to spring symphony of red-legged frogs in restored wetlands, a basin biodiversity hallmark.

Scout agricultural edges where leased fields attract foraging migrants, highlighting wetland-farm tensions.

Witness courtship displays of Wilson's snipe and Wilson's phalaropes over marsh pools, refuge specialties.

View massive nesting rafts on Upper Klamath islands, a key basin fish-eater congregation.

Hike grassy meadows at dawn for western meadowlark songs piercing the refuge quiet.

Scan Bear Valley slopes for ferruginous hawks and golden eagles in arid refuge pockets.

Hands-on reed planting and dike work, sustaining the basin's shrunken 80,000 wetland acres.

Gaze at unpolluted stars from remote pullouts, with frog calls as soundtrack in dark-sky refuges.

http://www.californialandcan.org/local-resources/Klamath-Basin-National-Wildlife-Refuge-Complex/28225

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/upper-klamath

https://birdallianceoregon.org/our-work/protect/habitat-and-wildlife/central-and-eastern-oregon/klamath-national-wildlife-refuges/

https://www.erikastravels.com/klamath-basin-wildlife-refuge/

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/lower-klamath