Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge is a

National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge System 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 system of public lands and waters set aside to c ...

(NWR) along the

Bitterroot River The Bitterroot River is a northward flowing river running through the Bitterroot Valley, from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner in southern Ravalli County to its confluence with the Clark Fork River near Missoula in Missoul ...

in southwestern

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, U.S. Established in 1964 as Ravalli NWR, it was renamed in 1978 in honor of the late

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Lee Metcalf Lee Warren Metcalf (January 28, 1911 – January 12, 1978) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. Representative (1953–1961) and a U.S. Senator (1961–1978) from Montana. He was th ...

, a native of Montana. The refuge was set aside for the protection of migratory bird species. About 235 species of birds have been documented on the refuge, with over 100 nesting there. Additionally, 37 species of mammals, and 17 species of reptiles and amphibians also have been documented. The refuge's wildlife viewing area covers of

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s and riparian woodland. It includes two nature trails and a paved,

wheelchair-accessible Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i.e ...

trail from the parking lot to the picnic area. The viewing area is equipped with a viewing and fishing structure, outdoor restroom facilities, benches, and an information kiosk. One of the nature trails, the

Lee Metcalf Wildlife Viewing Trail Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...

, was designated as a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

References

External links

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Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuges in Montana Protected areas of Ravalli County, Montana Wetlands of Montana Landforms of Ravalli County, Montana Protected areas established in 1964 1964 establishments in Montana {{RavalliCountyMT-geo-stub