Medicine Lake Wilderness

Of the 31,467 acres in the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 11,366 acres are designated wilderness. Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the central flyway in northeastern Montana, and sees more than 100,000 birds in the spring and fall migration seasons. More than 200 species of birds, including great blue herons, white pelicans, ring-billed gulls, geese, ducks, swans, double-crested cormorants, sandhill cranes and sometimes whooping cranes, fly through this area in each migration.

Waterfowl hunting is allowed in season along the east side of the refuge. Sportfishing is also allowed on 8 of the lakes, including Medicine Lake. Hunting is allowed in season for pronghorn, mule deer and white-tailed deer.

Medicine Lake Wilderness is comprised of 2 sections of the Refuge: one being Medicine Lake and all the islands within the lake, the other being the trailless upland Sandhill Unit to the southeast of Medicine Lake. Travel in the wilderness is restricted to foot and boat, and travel is further restricted during the spring nesting season. The refuge is open from dawn to dusk, there is no camping allowed on the property.