Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge Overview

Big Stone NWR is part of the Big Stone Lake-Whetstone River Project of Minnesota and South Dakota. The Project was authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1965. The lands were purchased in fee title by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1971 and transferred to the Service in 1975. Overlaying the Minnesota River Valley, the refuge contains 11,521 acres—1,028 acres in Big Stone County and 10,493 acres in Lac Qui Parle County. The refuge is located in Minnesota's second Congressional District. For more information about the Big Stone Wetland Management District, click here.

Unique features include the lichen-covered granite outcrops for which the refuge was named and the nearly 2,000 acres of native tall grass prairie. The only population of the ball cactus (Mammillaria vivipara) in Minnesota is located on the refuge. The primary refuge purposes stated in authorizing documents are flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation.

The refuge serves as a wintering area for white-tailed deer and has wintered as many as 1,200 animals. It is also a major migratory stopover for 21 species of waterfowl. The refuge's principal objective is to provide optimum nesting cover for ground nesting waterfowl production. The present annual visitation for the Refuge is approximately 30,000 visitors.

Visitor Opportunities

Accessibility: The National Wildlife Refuge System is working to ensure that facilities and programs are accessible to visitors. Please contact the refuge office for information about accessibility at this unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Recreation: Recreational opportunities in this area include a visitor contact station, wildlife observation, hiking trails, archaeological/historic sites, an auto tour route, non-motorized boating, hunting, and fishing. Facilities for the above include:

Prairie Drive Auto Tour Route - Paved five-mile interpretive drive with 11 numbered turnouts complemented by leaflet, overlook walk on top of granite outcrop. The route is generally open from mid-April through the end of October, seven days a week.

Rock Outcrop Hiking Trail - One-mile trail overlooking the Minnesota River bottomland forest on top of unique granite outcrops. Includes natural history and wildlife information exhibit.

Canoe Route - Approximately 11-mile route along the Minnesota River including two access/parking areas.

East Pool Wildlife Drive - One-mile paved road on top of the Highway 75 Dam; provides superb view of the East Pool, waterfowl, eagles, western grebes, heron rookery.

Kaercher Overlook Trail - One-eighth-mile trail off Dam Drive terminating at interpretative kiosk with information on geology and culture of the area.

A small visitor contact center is located in the refuge headquarters office where maps, literature, and interpretative materials can be obtained. There are no costs for any activity on the refuge. The office/visitor center hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Fishing opportunities for northern pike, walleye, and largemouth bass can be found along most of the Minnesota River channel where non-motorized boats or boats with only electric trolling motors can be used. Along the Highway 75 Dam, spillway and lowflow structure areas are also popular and productive locations. There are a total of nine fishing access points, three of which have boat launching ramps and five have developed parking areas.

Hunting for deer and upland game are permitted over much of the refuge with one portion of the refuge closed to all hunting. All hunting is in accordance with state seasons and regulations and no special permit or registration is required to hunt on the refuge. There are 20 parking areas along the refuge boundary giving hunters excellent access to much of the refuge.

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are permitted and are popular uses along the auto tour during the closed winter season.

Wildlife observation opportunities are best for waterfowl and other waterbirds during spring and fall migration (April and October). The refuge generally hosts up to 21 species of waterfowl during those months.

Birding opportunities are particularly good due to a variety of habitats and the location of the refuge, which hosts an amalgamation of western and eastern species. Deer are readily seen throughout the year but are particularly abundant and popular for the auto tour users.

Management Programs
The primary management focus of the refuge is to maintain and restore native prairie grassland habitat and in-so-doing provide optimum nesting cover for waterfowl and other grassland nesting birds. Prescribed burning and controlled grazing are two tools used to manage these restored and native prairies. These techniques mimic historical natural fire and grazing events that occurred throughout the prairie ecosystem. The refuge has several impoundments that enable us to manage over 2,000 acres of marsh and open water habitat. Water levels, however, are ultimately controlled by the Corps of Engineers as flood control mandates dictate. Several smaller sub-impoundments allow us to to manage 300 acres independently from any flood control needs. All water management is geared toward providing optimum waterfowl maintenance needs and brood-rearing habitat. The refuge carries out a chemical and mechanical weed control program to comply with state weed laws specifically on Canada thistle and leafy spurge. In 1997 the refuge established three flea beetle insectaries for future establishment of leafy spurge biological control. The refuge conducts a predator reduction program each year to increase waterfowl nesting success on islands within the refuge. The refuge staff also completes a number of biological surveys each year, including waterfowl breeding pair counts (on/off refuge), white-tailed deer monitoring, a breeding bird survey, grassland bird point counts, furbearer populations, waterfowl migration surveys, pheasant surveys, predator scent post surveys, bluebird nest box trail, artificial waterfowl nest structure monitoring (approximately 180 structures), and colonial bird nesting surveys. Refuge acquisition to achieve the current goal acreage of approximately 14,300 acres is ongoing on a willing seller basis. About 20 permanent food plots on 150 acres are maintained for the benefit of resident game and to help offset deer depredation problems on adjacent private lands.

Contact Details
RR1 Box 25
Odessa, MN 56276
Phone: (320) 273-2191
E-mail: ron_cole@fws.gov

Directions
The refuge office/visitor center and maintenance facility are located approximately eight miles east of Ortonville, MN (South Dakota border), and one-half mile west of Odessa, MN. From Highway 7/75 take Big Stone County Road #19 south approximately three quarters of a mile.