National wildlife refuge

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a 3,709-acre national wildlife refuge in Riverside County, California, established in 1985, run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It is closed to all public use: no one may land on or enter it.

Check current closures and fire restrictions for Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge on the managing agency's own page.

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge map

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.

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Closures

  • The refuge is closed to the public and serves as a sanctuary for desert species and their habitat (as of September 28, 2026). Current notice

Fire restrictions

Fire restrictions change with the season and can start or lift within days. Check the current orders for this area before any campfire, stove, smoking, target shooting or off-road driving.

Common questions

No. Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge is closed to all public use: no one may land on or enter it.
No. Hunting is not allowed on Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge closed to general public entry.
No. Fishing is not allowed on Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is closed to public entry; fishing is not permitted on the refuge.
No. Dogs are not allowed on Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is closed to the public; pets are not permitted on the refuge.

Hours, fees, and visitor center

There is no entrance fee at Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

What visitors do here: birding, environmental education, photography, wildlife viewing.

Source: fws.gov/refuge/coachella-valley/visit-us, checked 2026-09-29.

Wildlife

  • Reptile or amphibian, threatenedCoachella Valley fringe-toed lizardDependent on the refuge's dynamic blow-sand dune habitat.
  • Plant, endangeredCoachella Valley milk-vetchEndemic dune plant protected on the refuge.

Source: fws.gov/refuge/coachella-valley/about-refuge, checked 2026-09-28.

Hunting

Hunting is not allowed on Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge closed to general public entry.

Hunting rules for Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Source: fws.gov/refuge/coachella-valley, checked 2026-09-28.

Fishing and boating

Fishing is not allowed on Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is closed to public entry; fishing is not permitted on the refuge.

Source: fws.gov/refuge/coachella-valley, checked 2026-09-28.

Camping

Camping is not allowed on Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Overnight camping is not permitted on the closed refuge.

Source: fws.gov/refuge/coachella-valley, checked 2026-09-28.

Pets

Dogs are not allowed on Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is closed to the public; pets are not permitted on the refuge.

Source: fws.gov/refuge/coachella-valley, checked 2026-09-28.

Places on the refuge

  • PlaceRefuge closed to public entryClosed to protect endangered species; visit nearby Coachella Valley Preserve through partners

Source: fws.gov/refuge/coachella-valley/visit-us, checked 2026-09-29.

Public lands next to Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.