Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge

The 3,000-acre Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge is one of the premier natural areas in the state. It is open to the public 365 days a year. The Wetlands Initiative owns this refuge. Its goal in restoring the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge has been to bring back levels of biodiversity approaching what was once typical of the Illinois landscape prior to European settlement.

Just two hours from downtown Chicago, the refuge is a beautiful place to visit in all seasons.

The Refuge also contains an extremely rare and high-quality seep wetland habitat. This 26 acres habitat is a designated Illinois Nature Preserve known as the Thomas W. and Elizabeth Moews Dore Seep. Dore Seep contains the largest identified seep area in the Illinois River Section of the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River Bottomlands Natural Division.

In 2012, the global Ramsar Convention on Wetlands officially listed the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge as a Wetland of International Importance. This designation recognizes the Refuge for the rare wetlands, endangered species, native fish populations, and large numbers of migratory waterfowl it supports. A map with trails and amenities is available here.

More than 730 native plant species thrive at the Refuge. The site is also an Audubon Important Bird Area. Researchers and birdwatchers have observed more than 270 bird species nesting, foraging, or resting there. Where once only corn and soybeans grew, a mosaic of lakes, marshes, seeps, savannas, and prairies now supports a huge range of native flora and fauna.

The Refuge is open for fishing and boating each summer. Information on water access is available here.