Additions to my website

I recently added some important interpretive centers and a state park to the Google Maps in my Lewis and Clark Trail website. The first four are located along the Kansas City - Omaha stretch of the Missouri River, and the final two are in the Columbia River Gorge. Would you please welcome:

Lewis and Clark Visitor Centers-Trail Headquarters Omaha, NE
Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Visitors Center Nebraska City, NE
National Frontier Trails Museum Independence, MO
Indian Cave State Park in Nebraska Shubert, NE
Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum Stevenson, WA
Bonneville Lock and Dam Cascade Locks, OR

The Missouri National Recreational River

This article has been relocated to http://lewis-clark-trail.us/History/missouri-national-recreational-river.php.

DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska

DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge serves as a stopover for ducks and geese during their migrations between Arctic nesting grounds and Gulf Coast wintering areas. The territory of the refuge was originally west of the Missouri River, which bulged around it eastward, but channelization cut a straight line (north-south) through the middle of the refuge, leaving half of it on the Iowa side.

Bald eagles are often seen when waterfowl are present, and good viewing opportunities are available from the visitor center. An assortment of warblers, shorebirds, gulls, and other species also can be observed on the refuge during fall and spring migrations. In the summer, white-tailed deer are often seen in the morning and evening hours. Wild turkeys often gather in large groups along the roads and in the fields.

The Steamboat Bertrand, a sternwheeler that sunk in 1865 while bound for Montana Territory, was discovered on the refuge in 1968 and unearthed the following year. Visitors may view the site of this discovery, and the DeSoto Visitor Center exhibits 200,000 artifacts recovered from the hull. Steamboats were used in that era to carry supplies to fur trading posts, frontier settlements, and mining towns. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, more than 400 steamboats sank or were stranded between St. Louis, Missouri and Ft. Benton, Montana, victims of the turbulent, snag-strewn "Big Muddy".

Home Page
1434 316th Lane
Missouri Valley, IA 51555
712-642-4121

On Google Maps
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

Fort Atkinson State Historical Park

Captain William Clark observed that the site was an excellent location for a fort, and Fort Atkinson was established at that spot in 1820, the first U.S. military post west of the Missouri River. The fort is located in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, and was established to secure early fur trade and river traffic. Much of that historic outpost has been reconstructed here, and historical reenactments are given throughout the summer.

Home Page
PO Box 240
Fort Calhoun, NE 68023-0240
Phone: (402) 468-5611

On Google Maps
Fort Atkinson State Historical Park

Wildlife refuges get nearly $2M for improvements

Two federal wildlife refuges on the Missouri River north of Omaha will receive almost $2 million in funding to help pay for upgrades and improvements.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the money will be used to improve the energy efficiency of the visitor's center at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on the Iowa side, and the Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge on the Nebraska side of the river.

Kickoff Event for the Missouri River Water Trail

A water trail paddle, sponsored by Missouri River Expeditions of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is scheduled for Saturday, June 6. The paddle will showcase the development of the Missouri River Water Trail. The first 24 registered participants can participate for $20, and those bringing their own kayaks or canoes can join for free.