Saturday, November 21, 2026
Ken Bales, leader (402-213-4040, kbales2003@gmail.com)
For three days this year the “back roads” of the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge will be open to the public. This opportunity affords closer looks at the water features, access to areas that are otherwise off limits to the public, and a closer look at the transitional area between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains.
The logistics for the trip are as follows:
The trip is limited to 10 participants based on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact me by phone, voicemail, text, or email (preferred) to let me know of your interest in the trip. I will keep a waiting list, if necessary. Please include your email, phone number, and, if you have it, WhatsApp username.
Meet at 7:30 a.m. outside the parking lot of Café Fina, 624 Old Las Vegas Highway, Santa Fe, NM, 35.558407. -105.876597. Park in the area outside the parking lot of this popular restaurant.
We will carpool from the parking location and determine who will drive before we leave.
Bring binoculars, spotting scope (if you have one), water, lunch, and snacks, and any other equipment you need to be comfortable during the day.
Wear layers of clothing suitable for a variety of weather conditions including cold, wind, bright sun (sunscreen/sunglasses), and rain or snow.
There are vault toilets at some locations, but there are none on the back roads.
I will generate eBird lists and will be happy to share with anyone who would like them.
The trip will be most of a full day of travel and birding. Walking or hiking will be minimal, as we will bird from cars and drive to spots where we will get out to see birds. It takes a bit over an hour to get to the Refuge from the meeting point. We can expect to see a variety of raptors, grassland birds, and probably a number of songbirds. We will spend as much time as we like within the Refuge, but if time allows we might also go to McAllister Lake or another site where good birds have been reported.