Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge — Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

My family and I stopped at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge on the way back from a vacation at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Moose are one of my mom's and my favorite animals, and we had searched for them all week in Montana and Wyoming, to no avail.

Having heard about the moose population at Turnbull, we decided to stop there for one last chance of a moose sighting. And, lucky us...a bull made an appearance before laying back down in the grass for a nap! We were both so happy we almost cried.

We mostly stuck to the auto route and got out of the car for a quick jaunt down to one of the ponds. The trail was in good condition. There, we saw two adult swans with three cygnets.

At the beginning of the loop, we were greeted by a quail, a first-time sighting for me in Washington! 

We met two visitors who were on their third drive around the loop. They had seen a mama and two baby moose on one of their first drive. So, if at first you don't succeed (at seeing a moose on your drive), try, try again! The experience will be different every time.