Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, Michigan, United States
4.5 (83 reviews) Spent Ranking #4 in Saginaw Nature & Wildlife Areas
Fascinating Wildlife Refuge near Saginaw
I came here not really knowing what to expect. I came on an overcast day in the morning, so that might have helped. But the scenery and wildlife were amazing. The trails and roads are built high and kind of act like solid boardwalks going through wetlands. They have a few different habitats which contributes to the variety of wildlife. I saw lots of herons (a couple different species), egrets, sandhill cranes, ducks, thrushes, flickers, and warblers. Also saw deer, frogs and beaver. There are a few trails that were surpisingly not muddy. The auto tour is really cool. The only thing to note is that it is one way. So once you commit, unless you want to try and go against traffic on a narrow one way road, you are committed (it's only 6.5 miles but people stop and slow down along the way). Bring binoculars and bug spray, be ready to pull off (in the designated areas) if you are driving, and try doing the hike. I did the Bayou and it was really cool. And it is free!
Address
6975 Mower Rd, Saginaw, MI 48601-9783
Mobile
Website
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/shiawassee/
Current local date and time now
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 17:08
User Ratings
4.5 based on (83 reviews)
Reviews
-
5Wendy S 5:00 PM Jul 19, 2020
Beautuful even when extremely flooded.
Lovely area . Many white Egrets and Geese also the White Pelucans were there. Hard to see for the 1st time and try to determine how much of the area was actually flooded. I am sure many acres wide was under water that ahould have been dry fields. Wondering where all the deer and aminals had to excape to.
-
5sland1225 5:00 PM Oct 20, 2020
Great Place for Nature Lovers
This is a beautiful place for a nice drive in nature. The road through the refuge is great and takes you past a variety of habitats. We saw a lot of herons and Great White egrets, as well as ducks, pelicans and turtles. My mother and I were both struck by the peace and quiet of the environment and the beauty of the wetlands. I hope to return next year to hike the trails.
