las vegas national wildlife refuge

After a long night and a bad experience with the lodging, this is exactly what the kids needed. It was a nice way to end a short trip. Deff would stop by on our way home.

The visitor's center was closed due to work they had to do out in the field. I got a map and drove around the area. Some of the views are pretty. Saw either a rattlesnake or a bull snake in the road. The lake at the south end of the refuge had some water, but no birds that I saw. Overall, not a bad visit.

Love seeing wildlife in its natural habitat, and glad another area is being preserved for future generations

We visit here every 2 yrs when we visit Pecos from Michigan.Yes, the horrible drought has affected this park significantly. However, we always see a lot of birds. The hike into the canyon at the back of the park is a gorgeous walk, and again, we always see birds back there. We always pack in our lunch and sit on the edge of the canyon to enjoy the views and sunshine.

Because of the drought there was virtually no water. Their drought is in it's 8th year. Can't blame the Refuge!!!! The drive around the refuge was very interesting, but really missed seeing the birds and wildlife.

We went in winter, past the migration season, so we didn't see lots of birds, but the views and land nearby are lovely. Would definitely return in November if schedules allow (every Sunday in Nov the LVNWR has a migration event)

Our Grand Daughter asked us about the Sandhill Crane migration so we decided to take her to the refuge to see them first hand. We went on Saturday and from the roads that were open we did not see much of anything, however we went again Sunday and the park had gates to off limit roads open and we got to drive deep into the park and saw 13 Sandhill cranes at 6 different lakes and we saw about 56 species of birds and waterfowl. It turned out to be a perfect day to visit the refuge center also because they had crafts for the kids and educational program for adults. If you want to go; stay at the Super 8 in town and come on a Sunday in November to get the VIP treatment.

While there is not much in the way of improvements here, this refuge is outstanding for being a spot where you can see an extraordinary range of bird species in just a short visit. Since Las Vegas is on a principal north-south flyway, this refuge just outside of town is a great place to go birding. There is a very good visitor center with knowledgeable staff and hands-on activities for the younger set. It's wide-open country, with a few timber viewing platforms at turn-outs on the road. Twice a year you can drive into the back country along the service roads and see ponds with birds you can't view from the usual spots. No picnic or camping facilities, and the fishing lake has dried up (though recent rains may have started to restore it).

It had rained recently so all the ponds had water in them. Thus we were treated to about 30 sandhill cranes busy feeding, plus plenty of hawks and other birds. We appreciated the free telescopes at the overlook, making it easier to spot the cranes. Visitor center was closed but we took the short Gallinas Nature Trail where we saw a cool ringneck snake (harmless) as well as a large (also harmless) gopher snake. Trail starts on flat prairie with some old ruins from the 1920s, then descends into a small canyon with some permanent seeps that attract wildlife. No crowds at all in spite of this being a Sunday. Great for a few hours respite from the world of humans.

This wildlife refuge is for bird watchers and not for those who prefer to get out an mosey around. Most of the bird watching is done from your car or from one of the overlooks. The NWR surrounds MacAllister Lake which is actually owned by the State of New Mexico and it has been opened in the past to camping and fishing (it is not as of this writing and hasn't been for at least two years). People still occasionally disperse camp near the entrance to the lake but I do not know if this is legal or not.Here is an insider's tip. The first overlook after the NWR HQ features a telescope (free) that people normally use to watch birds. However, this telescope can be used to watch the moonrise or other celestial events. I even hooked my camera up to it one evening to take pictures of the nighttime sky. Very cool. Sometimes they lock the gate on the short road to the overlook at night but it is often open. In any event this is a great place to get away from the city and enjoy the night skies without an extended drive.If you want to take the scenic drive you need a permit from the ranger station. Sadly, this route is not open for hiking, car only. Back when the lake actually had water in it I would sometimes come out and hike around the lake and listen to the birds cry to each other. Not any more.

I enjoyed this park. The difference between national parks and national wildlife refuges is the amount of people who visit (few at the NWR). There was no water in the lakes, however the area received over 5 inches of rain in July so hopefully they have some water now. There was a short, about a mile long, hike that took you into a canyon and above where there are some old homesteader ruins. I liked the hike so much I returned a second time. No one else on the trail, very quiet and peaceful. Wildlife spotted: a collared lizard and a rattlesnake. I went during the week so both times the visitor center was open. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

The refuge sits on the flyway just east of the Rocky Mountains, and harbors a huge variety of waterfowl and eagles during migration. When there isn't a drought. Check the Friends website for events: www.flvnwr.org

We went on a weekend when the visitor center was not open, so can't say anything about that. I assume it will be open sometime in May. All lakes are bone dry. Little wildlife. A few birds, but hardly worth the trip.

There is no water there anymore. It's bone dry from the drought. After hiking for an hour, we saw 4 meadowlarks and 4 Say's phoebes, which you can see in any desert. There was no other life, beyond the insects they were eating.Too bad the feds who run this NWR can't see their way clear to warn the public that "there is no there, there" before they take the long car trip out just to see it. I wish we had seen the one trip review here that mentioned the problem before we wasted our day on it.

I quite enjoyed the friendly, helpful, and informative Park Rangers at the Wildlife Refuge building. From engaging my son with fun facts about nature, to lending us binoculars and nature species identifying books. Would love to bring people visiting me here in the future, I know they would love the experience as much as I did.