Hiking

The refuge offers visitors three different hiking opportunities to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature from sunrise to sunset daily. 

The Cottonwood Day Use Nature Trail (Recently partially renovated!) is about 1 mile with low length and low difficulty for visitors to walk around a woodlot and prairie to see a range of different wildlife species.

The Lake 14 Levee Nature Trail is about .81 miles with low difficulty and leads visitors around the lake shoreline to observe a wide variety of ducks, geese, cranes, shorebirds, and more in peak migration periods on refuge. 

The Prairie Dog Nature Trail is about .06 miles with very low difficulty by a prairie dog colony. Visitors can take the time to observe the prairie dogs, burrowing owls, and pronghorns that use the area. 

Dogs are allowed on refuge and on trail if they are always leashed. We ask that all hikers always stay on trails, walking off trail is trespassing into a closed area.