Enjoy the refuge auto tour route for spectacular wildlife observation and photography experiences! All refuge complex auto tour routes are one-way unless marked otherwise. Please stay in your vehicle on auto tour routes, except at designated areas where signage indicates getting out is allowed. Many wildlife species are accustomed to slow-moving vehicles, so your automobile is often your best 鈥渂lind.鈥� No foot traffic, bicycles, or horses are allowed on the auto tour routes. The posted speed limit is 20 miles per hour on the auto tour. The all-weather roads are constructed of compacted gravel and remain firm even during wet weather.
William L. Finley NWR auto tour route
Length: 5.5 miles
Season: Open year-round
Access: Main entrance off Bellfountain Rd or Bruce Rd
Road Surface: All-weather compacted gravel
The William L. Finley auto tour route is a 5.5-mile loop that traverses through riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian and mixed forest before transitioning to open oak woodlands and oak savanna habitats along Finley Refuge Road. As you drive past the upland prairie, you will experience the Refuge's history as you pass the Fiechter Barn and Fiechter House. Continue on Finley Refuge Road until you reach Highway 99W. Follow the highway south to Bruce Road. Make a right onto Bruce Road and experience the seasonal wetlands before crossing through refuge farm fields and irrigated pastures. Visitors can access the elevated wildlife observation platform at Prairie Overlook along the tour route. The Prairie Overlook parking lot has an interpretive kiosk with brochures, and the overlook has informational panels about the wildlife and habitat it overlooks.
The William L. Finley NWR auto tour provides seasonal spectacles of tens of thousands of Cackling and Canada geese in the winter and upwards of 20,000 different individuals of ducks and swans roosting in the marshes or feeding in the ponds. Visitors during the winter are also almost guaranteed to see large numbers of various waterfowl species like northern pintail, green-winged teal, and northern shoveler, among others.
Tips for a good experience:
Take it slow. The posted speed limit is 20mphfor the safety of wildlife and other visitors. It is amazing how close you can get to a browsing deer or a perched hawk when you drive slowly.
Use pull-offs when you want to stop. This allows other visitors and staff to move past you safely.
Be patient and come again. You never know when you might see something exciting that you have not seen before. A fun part of the experience is learning where to look and how to find hidden wildlife. This is a skill that takes time, so keep coming back to practice!
