Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge occupies a large protected stretch of the Snake River Plain in south-central Idaho around Lake Walcott. In a dry region, its open water and wetlands create an important oasis, with shoreline marshes, willows, cottonwoods, sagebrush uplands, and basalt outcrops supporting diverse wildlife. The refuge is especially significant for colonial nesting birds and molting waterfowl, including American white pelicans, and it also shelters species such as the Idaho dunes tiger beetle and the endangered Utah valvata snail. Its landscape also holds traces of Oregon Trail travel, while recreation is allowed in designated areas and restricted in sensitive habitat.