Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is located in Sherburne County, in east central Minnesota, about 50 miles northwest of the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area. The 30,700 acre refuge was established in 1965 at the urging of local conservationists and hunters interested in restoring the wildlife values of the St. Francis River Basin, which had been altered by a series of drainage ditches and agricultural production. Following that, Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge became and remains the largest public land holding in Sherburne County. The refuge is now a wild remnant at the meeting of the western prairies and the northern woods, with oak savanna, prairie opening, forest, wetland and riverine habitats.Additionally, the refuge is designated as a state Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. Located within the Mississippi Flyway, the refuge hosts countless migratory waterfowl, songbirds and sandhill cranes in the spring and fall, along with hosting a wide variety of breeding and resident bird species.