Contact Info
7 Miles East
Old Highway #2
Malta, MT 59538
- Phone:
- 406-654-2863
Basic Directions
Bowdoin NWR is located about 7 miles east of Malta, Montana. From U.S. Highway 2 on the east edge of Malta, turn southeast onto old County Highway 2 at the brown and white Refuge sign. Follow the paved road to the two stone pillars marking the entrance road to the Refuge headquarters. Traveling from the east on U.S. Highway 2, turn south (left) at the brown and white Refuge sign located approximately 14 miles west of the Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs Resort turn-off. Follow the gravel road to the 4-way intersection and turn left again onto the paved road (Old County Highway 2). This will take you to the Refuge entrance.
Description
Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located 7 miles east of Malta, Montana, was established in 1936 to provide habitat for migrating, nesting, and feeding birds. More than 260 species of birds, 26 species of mammals, and a variety of reptiles, amphibians, and fish can be seen at the Refuge.Named after a small railroad siding town, the Refuge includes approximately 6,600 acres of saline (alkali) and freshwater wetlands and 9,000 acres of uplands (much of this native prairie). Lake Bowdoin was once an oxbow of the pre-glacial Missouri River. Today, the river lies approximately 70 miles to the south.The islands of Lake Bowdoin support one of the largest inland nesting colonies of American white pelicans and one of the rare ground rookeries of great blue herons and double-crested cormorants. White-tailed deer and pronghorns abound on the uplands, surrounded by a wide variety of prairie songbirds and other small animals. Many of these wildlife species can be easily seen from the 15-mile auto tour loop. Bowdoin NWR has been deemed an Internationally Important Bird Area and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site.
