Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge

About Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1908 under President Theodore Roosevelt as a reserve and breeding ground for native birds, making it the 15th refuge established in the country. Chase Lake has one of the largest American white pelican nesting colonies in North America. That said, the year the Refuge was established, only 50 pelicans inhabited the area, as written by local settler H.H. McCumber. In 2000, a record 35,466 breeding pelicans were tallied at the Refuge.

How to Get There

Chase Lake NWR is located 10 miles north and 7 miles west of Medina, North Dakota. From Jamestown, travel west on I-94 to the Medina exit. Turn north and go 11 miles on County Highway 68. Turn west on the gravel road and drive 7 miles. Turn south and go 1 mile. The last 5 miles are "prairie trail" road. This is a minimum maintenance road that can be difficult to travel during wet conditions. However, this very scenic drive provides visitors a glimpse of how this country appeared during pre-settlement times. The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset.

Plan Your Visit to Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Chase 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)