Willow Lake State Wildlife Management Area
Willow Lake State Wildlife Management Area is a nature reserve in Nebraska, at a modelled elevation of 897 m. Rustlers Roost stands 915 m to the north-northwest, 14 miles off. The nearest named place is Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, a park 2.9 miles away. Bridges to Buttes Byway passes 22 miles off. 26 named places lie within 25 miles, 2 of them named summits.
How to reach it
- 21.6 mi off the Bridges to Buttes Byway
- 22.3 mi off the Outlaw Trail
26 named places within 25 miles
- Valentine National Wildlife Refuge: 2.9 mi
- Merry Land Park: 14.6 mi
- Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area: 15.4 mi
- Meritt Reservoir State Wildlife Management Area: 16.2 mi
- Wood Lake City Park: 18.8 mi
- Rustlers Roost: 13.8 mi
- Frederick Peak: 23.8 mi
- Cherry County Historical Society Museum: 21.6 mi
- Sandhills Museum: 22.3 mi
- Snake River Falls: 15.9 mi
- DeWitty: 18.9 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Willow Lake State Wildlife Management Area. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rustlers Roost | NNW 331° | 915 m | 13.8 mi |
| Frederick Peak | N 8° | 813 m | 23.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:46 | 19:18 | 19:55 |
| June solstice | 06:06 | 20:41 | 21:24 |
| September equinox | 07:30 | 19:04 | 19:41 |
| December solstice | 08:10 | 16:27 | 17:13 |
Local time (America/Chicago).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 28 | 30 | 40 | 49 | 59 | 69 | 76 | 74 | 65 | 52 | 39 | 30 |
| Precip in | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Valentine NWR, 5 mi away.
- Upland Sandpiper8 obs
- Wild Turkey6 obs
- Killdeer4 obs
- Western Meadowlark4 obs
- Trumpeter Swan3 obs
- Yellow-headed Blackbird3 obs
- Dickcissel3 obs
- Common Snapping Turtle3 obs
Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element way/694118150
Take the scenic way to Willow Lake State Wildlife Management Area.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.