Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge

An American avocet wades in shallow water.

The Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge is the largest contiguous block of native grassland owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the prairie pothole region. Birding is especially popular because the refuge hosts hard-to-find grassland species.

Aggressive use of prescribed burning and grazing is being used to fight the encroachment of exotic plants and woody vegetation that once threated to change the grassland into a parkland habitat. Dominant vegetation is western snowberry, needle grasses, wheat grasses, gramas, and plains muhly.

The refuge provides significant breeding habitat for the Great Plains population of the threatened piping plover. Baird's sparrows and sprague's pigit also benefit from the grassland management programs.

Blue-winged teal, mallards, gadwall, wigeon and lesser scaup are abundant. The giant Canada goose was reintroduced here in 1964.

Other water birds include the marbled godwit, upland sandpiper, Wilson's pharalope and American avocet.

Mammals on the refuge include white-tailed deer, badgers, porcupines and coyotes, which are seen on Lostwood's prairie.

Hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are available. Because of the high alkalinity and shallow depths, there is no fishing.

The refuge covers 26,900 acres and is split by State Hwy. 50 into the North Two-Thirds, which includes a 5,577-acre wilderness, and the South Third, where horseback riding takes place from August through mid-September by reservation.