Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge, National wildlife refuge in Colfax County, New Mexico.

Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge lies on the high central plains of northeastern New Mexico, about 5 km north of the town of Maxwell in Colfax County, at roughly 1,840 m elevation. Its lakes, including Number Twelve and Number Thirteen Lake, sit among flat grassland, and over 350 acres are planted with wheat, corn, barley and alfalfa for wildlife.

Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1965 as a feeding and resting area for migratory birds. Over 350 acres within it are planted with wheat, corn, barley and alfalfa to feed resident and migratory wildlife. It lies in the high central plains of northeastern New Mexico, in Colfax County, about 5 km from the town of Maxwell.

The refuge's fields of wheat, corn, barley and alfalfa are planted to feed resident and migratory wildlife, so the crops themselves are part of the visit. Birders come for sandhill cranes, white pelicans and burrowing owls, and the surrounding prairie also holds black-tailed prairie dogs, coyotes and pronghorn-like open-country wildlife such as mule deer.

The refuge lies about 5 km north of the town of Maxwell in Colfax County, at an elevation of roughly 1,840 m, beside Number Twelve and Number Thirteen lakes. The surrounding plain is flat grassland, with Eagle Tail Mountain rising about 19 km to the southwest. The climate is cold and dry, averaging around 15 °C with only about 411 mm of precipitation a year.

Over 350 acres of the refuge are planted with wheat, corn, barley and alfalfa specifically to feed resident and migratory wildlife, so the fields double as a managed larder. Sandhill cranes, white pelicans and burrowing owls are among the birds that use them.