Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Complex Welcome to the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Complex - Jewel of the Tennessee River Valley! Fern Cave NWR near Paint Rock was established in 1981.
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Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 as a wintering area for ducks, geese and other migratory birds. This 35,000 acre refuge attracts thousands of wintering waterfowl each year along with thousands of sandhill cranes. The refuge is comprised of diverse habitat types including bottomland hardwoods, wetlands, pine uplands, shoreline or riparian woodlands, agricultural fields, and

back water embayments. These habitats provide excellent feeding, resting, and roosting sites for wintering waterfowl and cranes, as well as nesting sites for migratory songbirds and many species of resident wildlife. The Wheeler NWR Complex is comprised of seven refuges spread across 12,500 square miles of northern Alabama. They include Sauta Cave NWR near Scottsboro, established in 1978 and formerly known as Blowing Wind Cave. Key Cave NWR near Florence was established in 1997. The other three refuges, Watercress Darter (1980) near Bessemer; Cahaba River (2002) near Brent and Mountain Longleaf (2003) near Anniston are directly managed from the Mountain Longleaf NWR.

NEW SEASONAL WATERFOWL SANCTUARY: We’re pleased to share that Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, Alabama will...
05/20/2026

NEW SEASONAL WATERFOWL SANCTUARY: We’re pleased to share that Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, Alabama will be creating a 335-acre waterfowl sanctuary starting November 15, 2026 through February 28, 2027. This seasonal sanctuary is designed to give wintering waterfowl a peaceful, protected space during one of the most important times of the year. By reducing human disturbance, we’re helping these birds thrive and making your visits even more rewarding for photography, wildlife viewing, and nature appreciation. While a one-mile stretch of road through the Buckeye-Thorsen Arm Unit between HGH Road and JTT Road will be seasonally closed to all public entry, bikers and hikers still have access around the north side of the impoundment, including 20 miles of roads and trails in the surrounding area and 70 miles throughout Wheeler NWR.

More information about the new waterfowl sanctuary will be forthcoming in the 2026-2027 Wheeler NWR Hunting Regulations & Permit, our general regulations brochure, and on the Wheeler NWR website. (All of these documents we anticipate being updated and available by late July).

If you have any questions, we’re happy to help. Just email us at [email protected]. We appreciate your support and look forward to making your experience better!

Congratulations to Ashlynne Au! Her painting of a hooded merganser won the best-of-show for the Federal Junior Duck Sta...
04/24/2026

Congratulations to Ashlynne Au! Her painting of a hooded merganser won the best-of-show for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest in Alabama this year.

To view the best-of-show from other states visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/albums/72177720333159628/with/55213626669

Later in May and June the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place artwork for Alabama will be on display at the Alabama Center for the Arts!

More information about the K-12 art contest can be found at: https://www.fws.gov/program/junior-duck-stamp/junior-duck-stamp-contest-information

Happy National Volunteer Week 2026! Thank you to all the many people who have volunteered to help the refuge in differe...
04/24/2026

Happy National Volunteer Week 2026! Thank you to all the many people who have volunteered to help the refuge in different ways during the past year, both at our Visitor Center and elsewhere. Photos can't accurately capture the work accomplished by all our volunteers, but we're grateful for each of you!

Alabama Extension is offering a webinar on Invasive Plants and what you can do to help!
04/10/2026

Alabama Extension is offering a webinar on Invasive Plants and what you can do to help!

💚 We are celebrating the impact of Alabama Extension by highlighting the ways we serve our communities every day. As part of the celebration, we are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, April 14, for the 2026 Year of Alabama Invasive Plants project.

Join us online to learn how you can help protect our native habitats and take action against invasive species in your own backyard. Extension Week is all about sharing knowledge and we hope to see you there! 🌿

Sign up here: https://au-academics.my.salesforce-sites.com/pmtx/evt__SiteEventDetail?id=a1RUg000001JsNV

04/09/2026
Workcrews were able to complete repairs to the Dancy Bottoms Nature Trail boardwalk this morning, the trail is now back ...
04/07/2026

Workcrews were able to complete repairs to the Dancy Bottoms Nature Trail boardwalk this morning, the trail is now back open!

Address

3121 Visitor Center Road
Decatur, AL
35603

Telephone

+12563506639

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