The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

The Missouri River is nicknamed "Big Muddy" because of the high silt content. Mark Twain once famously described the Missouri as being “too thick to drink and too thin to plow”.

The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge is actually a series of small units in the state of Missouri, located along the entire stretch of river between St. Louis and Kansas City. The units are named after towns that once flourished, pioneers, or interesting facts or landmarks along the route.

Here is a list of units located close to the shoreline, from East to West. Each link takes you to a Google Map showing the location of that unit, along with a brief description and a link to the official site.

Boone's Crossing Unit
St. Aubert Island Unit
Jameson Island Unit
Lisbon Bottoms Unit
Overton Bottoms North Unit
Baltimore Bottom Unit
Jackass Bend Unit
Cranberry Bend Unit

For more things to do and places to stay in Missouri

The Lewis and Clark Trail Today: Eastern Missouri
The Lewis and Clark Trail Today: Western Missouri