Located south of Highway 14 just east of Washougal on 1,049 acres of former Columbia River floodplain, this area was established in 1976. The 2.75-mile Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail passes through the refuge, allowing the visitor an opportunity to experience the shallow ponds, marshes, open fields, riparian woodlands, and Columbia River. This accessible trail is a level gravel surface, with bridges over Gibbons Creek and the west end of Red-Tailed Pond.
Open during daylight hours every day, the trailhead has parking, an interpretive kiosk with brochures, and restroom. A section of the trail is closed to protect wintering waterfowl from October 1 through April 30 of each year. While providing an important nesting and wintering area for raptors and waterfowl, it is also at a crossroads.
Birding Tours
The refuge offers Spring and Fall birding tours led by a Refuge volunteer naturalist. This is an excellent opportunity to sharpen your birding skills while enjoying Refuge trails and learning about the Refuge. All hikes start at the respective trail head. You can visit the Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge website to learn the dates of the upcoming hikes and how to register for this interesting experience.
