Planning to visit Malheur National Wildlife Refuge? Allow us to assist you! Please see the helpful links below.
Our four-step process can help you get here, find lodging, get helpful maps and guides and share info about the wildlife you can view.
Hours of Operation
Malheur Refuge public areas and Refuge Headquarter grounds are open to the public year-round from sunrise to sunset. The Refuge Visitor Center is open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm from March 1 through October 31. The Visitor Center is closed November 1 through March 31, but refuge information can be obtained by calling the Refuge’s administrative office at (541) 493-2612 on Monday through Friday between 8:00am and 4:00pm. The administrative office is closed on Federal holidays. Please note the visitor center may be closed when volunteers or Refuge staff are not available.
Visitor Facilities
Most visitors begin their tour of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by visiting Refuge Headquarters. Besides being a wonderful place to view birds and wildlife, Refuge Headquarters includes a USFW visitor center, a wildlife Museum, and the Friends of Malheur Nature Center and Store. In addition to these facilities, there are public restrooms and picnic areas. While touring the Refuge, restrooms are also located at Buena Vista, Krumbo Reservoir, and P Ranch. Please note that camping is not allowed on the Refuge. Although not part of the Refuge, public facilities including camping spots are located at Page Springs Campground just south of P Ranch.
Your Adventure Check List
If you are a desert neophyte and it is your first visit to southeast Oregon and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, we think we have a few insights on what you will experience and some thoughts on what you will need in your Survival Kit.
If you are a desert devotee and returning for more, then this can be simply a refresher course. Here are some common-sense tips on how to make the most of your visit.
Malheur Refuge Maps
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge has a number of maps and brochures available to assist visitors in navigating and learning about the Refuge. These maps are particularly useful in helping you find your way around the Refuge and identifying public use areas including Refuge locations accessible for wildlife watching, fishing, and hunting. Download the official Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Maps & Brochures below.
Blitzen Valley Auto Tour
Friends of Malheur developed and maintains the Blitzen Valley Auto Tour.
The Auto Tour Route, a 42-mile self-guided tour along Malheur Refuge’s Center Patrol Road, has nineteen interpreted stops. A CD that provides interpretive information for each stop is available at no charge at the Crane’s Nest Nature Center.
The tour stop interpretive information is also downloadable in MP3 format and online as a Friends of Malheur Podcast. The audio interpretive presentation touches on the natural and cultural history and geology of the area, provides information about the plant and animal life found on the Refuge, and highlights various Refuge management priorities.
Download Auto Tour Guide Brochure & Audio MP3’s
This brochure covers the 42-mile Auto Tour Route at Malheur Refuge. It can be downloaded and put on your mobile device or printed to carry with you as you take the route.
Note that the brochure is a PDF file; you will need a PDF reader to view the brochure such as the free Adobe Reader.
The MP3 file is included in a .zip format because of its size. When unzipped, the series of tracks correspond with the Auto Tour stop number and provide information pertinent to that stop number.
Auto Tour Podcast
The Auto Tour is available on popular podcast platforms including Apple, Spotify, Anchor, RadioPublic, and Google Podcasts. You can also download the MP3's directly below.
Brochure Guide
Download the 18 page PDF detailing all 18 stops of the Auto Tour.
Audio Tour (Stops 1-10)
Download the zip file for the FIRST 10 stops of the Auto Tour.
Audio Tour (Stops 11-19)
Download the zip file for the LAST 9 stops of the Auto Tour.
Official Malheur Refuge Website
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a bureau in the Department of Interior. Their mission is, to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Be a Malheur Refuge Advocate.
You can become a Malheur Refuge champion by joining the Friends of Malheur and together we can advocate for a secure and more prosperous future for Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and our national wildlife refuge system.
