Hutton Lake NWR
Laramie, WY
This wildlife refuge protects beautiful marsh and open water habitat that is not commonly found in the state of Wyoming. It is also located in the heart of Mountain Plover and Longspur country, so birding in the general vicinity can be very exciting.
Specialty Species
- Grebes
- Eared (Spring-Fall)
- Western (Spring-Fall)
- American White Pelican (Spring-Fall)
- American Bittern (Spring-Fall)
- Waders
- Snowy (Spring-Fall)
- Black-crowned Night Heron (Spring-Fall)
- White-faced Ibis (Spring-Fall)
- Dabbling Ducks (Spring-Fall)
- Diving Ducks (Spring-Fall)
- Raptors
- Swainson’s Hawk (Spring-Fall)
- Ferruginous Hawk (All Year)
- Golden Eagle (All Year)
- Osprey (Spring, Fall)
- Prairie Falcon (All Year)
- Rails
- Virginia Rail (Spring-Fall)
- Sora (Spring-Fall)
- Shorebirds (Spring, Fall)
- Longspurs
- McCown’s (Spring-Summer)
- Chestnut-collared (Spring-Summer)
Where to Bird
- Refuge Roads
- County Road 34
Refuge Roads: The best way to bird this refuge is to drive all of the gravel roads and scan all of the marshes and lakes. Check all of the open water for all species of waterfowl and check any mudflats or exposed edges of lakes for shorebirds. Scan the marshy area well to see Marsh Wren, Black-crowned Night Heron, and Glossy Ibis. Keep an eye on the sky for many possible raptors including Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon.
County Road 34: Drive this road slowly and pull over often to scan the grasslands around the refuge. Mountain Plover can be found but is often difficult to see from the road; however, there should be many longspurs. Most will be McCown’s, but there could also be a few Chestnut-collared scattered throughout. This road is also an excellent area to look for raptors. Ferruginous Hawk is in the area as well as all of the other raptors mentioned.Hours
None
Fees
None
Accessiblity
Gravel roads only, may be inaccessible during parts of the winter. Birding is mainly done from the road.
Trails
None
Non-birding Equipment Needed
- Sunscreen
Lenght of Visit
Half day visit is recommended
Map
- None
Website
Directions
From Laramie: Take Highway 287 south from Interstate 80 for about ½ a mile and turn right on Fort Sanderson Drive (this road takes you to a concrete plant as well). Turn a left on County Road 34 (Sand Creek Road) right after going over the railroad tracks. Continue straight for about 8 miles to the refuge.
Address
None Available
Nearby Birding
Bamforth National Wildlife Refuge
Snowy Range