Frederick L. Wicks Prairie Wildlife Sanctuary

The Frederick L. Wicks Prairie Wildlife Sanctuary in north‑central North Dakota is a 400‑acre remnant of virgin short‑grass prairie, remarkable for its intact hummocky topography and more than twenty glacial pothole wetlands.  Located on the Missouri Plateau between the Missouri and Souris rivers, the sanctuary sits within a landscape shaped by both agriculture and nearby energy development, making its undisturbed prairie and wetland complexes increasingly rare. The property was donated to the National Audubon Society in 1992 as a memorial to Frederick L. Wicks by his heirs, and today it serves as an important refuge for grassland and wetland birds that depend on high‑quality native habitat. On a highpoint near the road, about a half-mile south of the entrance, is a rock cairn memorializing Alan E. Wicks – Frederick L. Wicks’ younger son – who was instrumental in initiating the donation of the property to Audubon before he died in 1991. The property was donated by his wife and children and by the wife and children of Alan’s older brother, Edwin O. Wicks.

Management at Wicks Sanctuary focuses on maintaining the ecological integrity of this native prairie system. The sanctuary’s mosaic of wetlands and grasslands provides breeding and migratory habitat for a suite of species, and ongoing stewardship aims to keep this landscape functioning as a resilient, biodiverse stronghold amid regional land-use pressures.

The Sanctuary is open to the public to explore on foot, though there are no public amenities. Please leave gates and fences as you find them and respect the flora, fauna, and neighbors of the sanctuary. 

VISIT
A roadside parking area is available at 48.295990, -102.138355.