The refuge is one of the recipients of the Great American Outdoor Act Funds, which organizers say will allow the refuge to complete work on several refuge structures that have been on a maintenance backlog.

The funding will go to four large projects:

≤ A new combined visitor and headquarters building

≤ Marshland Wildlife Drive and

Fishing Loop bridge and water control structure repairs

Seney National Wildlife Refuge access and closures in 2022 are shown. (Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

≤ Show Pool Site rehabilitation and improvements

≤ Pine Ridge Nature Trail improvement project

The largest portion of the project impacts the current visitor center, office and the campus surrounding these buildings. As part of this process, the two buildings were evaluated to see if they could be renovated to meet the needs of the station.

During this process it was determined the best path forward was to demolish the current structures and build a new combined building, officials said. The old visitor center was demolished this winter and a contract will soon be awarded for the construction of a new visitor center/headquarters, to be built in the same location. In the meantime, the refuge is adapting its existing facilities to temporarily house the visitor center and headquarters offices.

Temporary Visitor Center

The locator map for the Whitefish Point Unit of Seney National Wildlife is shown. (Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

River Road Quarters is usually home to the refuge’s temporary summer staff. This year it is repurposing the building to serve as the refuge’s temporary visitor center.

Location: 1986 Manistique River Road/County Road 436, about 6 miles south of the Refuge Entrance Road

Dates: May 17 to Oct. 20

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday

Marshland Wildlife Drive and Fishing Loop closed

Four bridges are being repaired on the automobile drives. Both the Marshland Drive and the Fishing Loop will be closed this season to vehicles, bicycles and foot traffic.

Other opportunities

to try

Driggs River Road access area

≤ Watch for wildlife; habitat at this location includes early successional forest, open field, ditch and pool system

≤ Hike or bicycle the roads

≤ Fish C-3 Pool

Robinson Road access area

≤ Watch for wildlife; habitat at this location includes early hardwood forest, open field, pool system

≤ Hike or bicycle the roads

≤ Hike the trails

Manistique River

≤ Canoe or kayak the 4-hour float through the refuge. Access starts and ends outside of the refuge

≤ Go fishing

Whitefish Point Unit

≤ Watch for wildlife; habitat at this location includes Lake Superior beach and forested dunes

≤ Hike the boardwalk

Stay up to date on progress and current closures

Closed areas are subject to change. Staff will reopen areas as quickly as they can. As projects progress over the season and the next few years, other adaptations will have to be made, including:

≤ The headquarters offices will be moved to another building, about a quarter mile down the road from the existing location.

≤ The Show Pool Shelter alongside M-77 will be closed in order to fix the breech in the dike, return water to the Show Pools and build a new restroom.

≤ The Pine Ridge Nature Trail will have closures during the visitor center construction and when the trail is refurbished.

≤ The Refuge Entrance Road will be closed during some aspects of construction and will be repaved as the visitor center and office are completed.

Keep an eye on this website for project details and closures at www.fws.gov/ refuge/seney.