Driggs River Road, Diversion Farm and C-3 Pool

In late March maintenance staff begin the work to open our backroads. Unless it is a particularly snowy and cold year the Driggs River Road is open by April 1st for the first of our sharp-tailed grouse blind reservations. The Diversion Farm is a retired farm that is being maintained as an openland for birds like bobolink, sharp-tailed grouse, northern harriers, field sparrows, upland sandpiper, and meadowlarks. To access the sharp-tailed grouse blind, park in the first parking lot after the bridge and walk or bike about one mile in, following the sharp-tailed grouse blind signs east along the Diversion Ditch, the blind is located about 100-feet off of the road to the south. Many people have enjoyed spending a morning watching the grouse dance on the lek but also other wildlife that have crossed the lek in the early morning hours. From April 1 to May 14, you will need a reservation to use the blind from 6 am to noon, the blind is open to the public on a first come first served basis the remainder of the year. 

Another access point from the Driggs River Road is C-3 Pool. From the first parking lot head west along the Diversion Ditch to a second parking lot where you can park and walk or bike along the C-3 Pool dike. If you would like a quiet birding opportunity this would be a great place to visit. Common sights include trumpeter swans, sandhill cranes, bald eagles, various species of ducks, as well as many other species of birds. 

From November 13 until the snow gets too deep to drive through or the end of muzzleloading season (around December 10) whichever comes first, visitors have the opportunity to drive the entire stretch of the Driggs River Road as well as several other back roads on the refuge during the firearms deer season. If you would like to visit during that time, please remember to wear blaze orange for safety if you plan to leave your vehicle.