Wheeler Wildlife Refuge spans 35,000 acres along the banks of the Tennessee River and provides a significant wintering and migrating bird habitat for species such as Canada geese and red-tailed hawks.

The refuge, which was named in honor of Major General Joseph Wheeler, was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and is jointly administered today by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, who oversees the refuge’s Redstone Arsenal area.

More than 700,000 annual visitors partake in outdoor activities at the refuge such as fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching.

Five hiking trails are offered throughout the refuge, along with six boat launch sites, a wildlife observation tower, and several spotting scope stations. Annual events at the refuge include a youth fishing rodeo, a southern wildlife festival, and summer youth day camps.

3121 Visitor Center Road, Decatur, AL 35603, Phone: 256-350-6639

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