Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Willard Springs Trail — Monday, Jun. 1, 2026

Today we drove to Conboy Lake NWR which is 54 miles from Brooks Memorial SP where we are camped to meander the area. The temperature was in the mid-80's and we needed an easy walk as the heat zaps what little energy we have left. The forest service worker who was in the "what used to be" visitor center for the refuge told us a storm had passed through the area on the weekend and that there were many downed trees and branches on the Willard Springs Loop Trail. He said the visitor center had not been open regularly for several years, bu he wasn't sure why. The area was small, but had many interesting stuffed animals including a sandhill crane. He told us the cranes came back to nest in the spring and returned to California in September. We saw only 1 crane which was in a field along one of the refuge roads.  Our driving by made it take off and fly away from us! A cow elk was seen in the distance in the same area. Tree swallows were seen in a nest box along the trail. We saw no other birds other than red-winged blackbirds. A young man who had a chain saw was starting down the trail to clear the down trees and branches as we were returning to the parking lot. We walked less than a mile before entering the wooded area so saw no downed trees.