The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge has its headquarters in Lewistown, Montana. The nearest large city is Billings, 270 miles (435 km) away. The refuge surrounds Fort Peck Reservoir and is 915,814 acres (370,617 hectares) in size. It is the second-largest National Wildlife Refuge in the lower 48 states of the United States, and the largest in Montana. Camping is allowed. A stargazer wrote, “Yellowstone and Glacier both have dark skies, but both are crowded spring through fall. The darkest part of Montana is actually the native prairie on the eastern side of the state. Explore the refuge and the nearby American Prairie Reserve.”
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.