Rydell National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The Rydell National Wildlife Refuge is an 2120 acres (9 km²) National Wildlife Refuge
in northwestern Minnesota
, located just west of Erskine
in Northwestern Minnesota. It was established in 1992, and receives more than 7,800 visitors each year. The refuge is a combination of maple/basswood/oak forest, wetlands, tallgrass prairie and bogs.
Wildlife comes first on national wildlife refuges; all human activities must be compatible with the needs of wildlife. Six activities are encouraged when appropriate: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education and interpretation. Rydell Refuge offers all of these, and more!
The refuge visitor center provides information about refuge wildlife and serves as the starting point for the seven-mile, paved and gravel, trail system. Five trails are open to hiking, bicycling, snowshoeing, and crosscountry skiing. Observation blinds and gazebos on the trails offer opportunities to watch and photograph wildlife. Transportation for people with disabilities is available by prior arrangement.
Rydell’s diverse habitats support avariety of wildlife species. Waterfowl,including ducks, geese, and swans, rely on the wetlands and the surrounding grasslands and woodlands for feeding
and nesting. Trumpeter swans, on Minnesota’s threatened species list,were re-introduced to the area prior to its becoming a refuge and now nest here each year. Bald eagles and osprey
hunt on the refuge, and gray wolves are occasionally seen. Resident species include white-tailed deer, black bear,ruffed grouse, barred owl, pileated woodpecker, long-tailed weasel, red
fox, river otter, and beaver.
Tours provided by the Friends of Rydell Refuge Association on electric golf carts are available by prior arrangement. Rydell NWR provides an annual deer hunt for people with disabilities which accommodates nearly 20 hunters.
Rydell National Wildlife Refuge's objectives include:
Finding the Refuge
From the north, take U.S. HWY 2 to Polk CR 210. Travel south on Polk CR 210 approximately 2.5 miles to the refuge entrance. From the south, take U.S. HWY 59 to Polk CR 41. Turn west on Polk CR 41 and follow the signs approximately nine miles to the refuge entrance.
Rydell National Wildlife Refuge--
17788 349th Street SE --
Erskine, MN 56535--
218/687 2229--
800/841 0172 (toll free)--
TTY: 1 800/877 8339--
http://midwest.fws.gov/rydell
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
in northwestern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, located just west of Erskine
Erskine, Minnesota
Erskine is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 503 at the 2010 census. It is part of the 'Grand Forks- ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area'.-Geography:...
in Northwestern Minnesota. It was established in 1992, and receives more than 7,800 visitors each year. The refuge is a combination of maple/basswood/oak forest, wetlands, tallgrass prairie and bogs.
Wildlife comes first on national wildlife refuges; all human activities must be compatible with the needs of wildlife. Six activities are encouraged when appropriate: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education and interpretation. Rydell Refuge offers all of these, and more!
The refuge visitor center provides information about refuge wildlife and serves as the starting point for the seven-mile, paved and gravel, trail system. Five trails are open to hiking, bicycling, snowshoeing, and crosscountry skiing. Observation blinds and gazebos on the trails offer opportunities to watch and photograph wildlife. Transportation for people with disabilities is available by prior arrangement.
Rydell’s diverse habitats support avariety of wildlife species. Waterfowl,including ducks, geese, and swans, rely on the wetlands and the surrounding grasslands and woodlands for feeding
and nesting. Trumpeter swans, on Minnesota’s threatened species list,were re-introduced to the area prior to its becoming a refuge and now nest here each year. Bald eagles and osprey
hunt on the refuge, and gray wolves are occasionally seen. Resident species include white-tailed deer, black bear,ruffed grouse, barred owl, pileated woodpecker, long-tailed weasel, red
fox, river otter, and beaver.
Tours provided by the Friends of Rydell Refuge Association on electric golf carts are available by prior arrangement. Rydell NWR provides an annual deer hunt for people with disabilities which accommodates nearly 20 hunters.
Rydell National Wildlife Refuge's objectives include:
- Provide nesting, feeding and resting habitat for waterfowl and other migratory woodland and grassland birds
- Serve as a regional destination for environmental education opportunities
- Provide woodland and prairie habitat for resident wildlife
- Provide opportunities for wildlife observation and outdoor recreation
Finding the Refuge
From the north, take U.S. HWY 2 to Polk CR 210. Travel south on Polk CR 210 approximately 2.5 miles to the refuge entrance. From the south, take U.S. HWY 59 to Polk CR 41. Turn west on Polk CR 41 and follow the signs approximately nine miles to the refuge entrance.
Rydell National Wildlife Refuge--
17788 349th Street SE --
Erskine, MN 56535--
218/687 2229--
800/841 0172 (toll free)--
TTY: 1 800/877 8339--
http://midwest.fws.gov/rydell