Bad Humor Island in South Dakota

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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

The Cathlapotle Plankhouse on the Columbia River

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Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex in South Dakota

The Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex is headquartered at Lake Andes, South Dakota, located a little to the east of the Missouri River and maybe ten miles north of the state's border with Nebraska. The complex comprises two separate refuges, the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge and the Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge.

Lake Andes is a natural, shallow prairie lake that is fed by underground springs, and once every twenty years (approximately) the lake dries up. Sioux Indians frequently made camp at the lake while pursuing migrating herds of buffalo and flocks of waterfowl. Two dikes separate the lake into three sections, allowing better water retention during the dry summers.

Wildlife observation, hunting, and fishing are the major attractions at the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge during wet years. Over one hundred species of birds nest at the refuge, including bald eagles, ring-necked pheasant, northern pintail, ducks and geese. Various mammal species are commonly found at the refuge, including white-tailed deer, coyote, muskrat and badger.

The Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge has the largest concentration of Bald eagles in the lower 48 states, with over 200 eagles often spending the winter there. The refuge is closed to the public, but bird watching is available from the Ft. Randall Dam. A kiosk at the dam provides information on optimal times and locations for viewing various species.

To obtain more information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex
38672 291st Street
Lake Andes, South Dakota 57356
(605) 487-7603

To find more things to do and places to stay in South Dakota
The Lewis and Clark Trail Today: On to the Grasslands

Bitterroot BioBlitz at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge

Located in the scenic and historic Bitterroot Valley of western Montana, surrounded by the Bitterroot Range and Sapphire Range, the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge offers spectacular opportunities to view regional landscape and wildlife. The Refuge's primary missions are to manage habitat for migratory birds and for endangered and threatened species.

Part festival, part educational event, and part scientific endeavor, the Bitterroot BioBlitz will bring together scientists from across the region in a race against the clock to see how many species they can count in a 24-hour biological survey of the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. The public is invited to observe their activities, and to participate in other activities presented by the refuge and a host of invited organizations.

Dates: June 26 and 27, 2009

For further information: Bitterroot Bio BLitz - Home

Honey Creek Conservation Area in Northwest Missouri

On July 8, 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped on an island where the Nodaway River joins the Missouri River from the north (look at the upper-left corner on this map). Clark noted in his journal that Nodaway Island was the largest that he had seen so far, and the Captains always preferred to make camp on islands for the security that they provide.

The next overland expedition from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River was the Astor Expedition of 1810-1812, and they made winter camp at Nodaway Island, in accordance with Lewis and Clark's recommendation.

The ever-shifting Missouri River has not left us a trace of this island, but you can gain an appreciation for what this region has to offer by visiting the Honey Creek Conservation Area, located a few miles northwest of St. Joseph, MO. This 1,448-acre nature preserve contains a diverse assortment of habitats, including forest and woodland, cropland and grassland. Good fishing and camping opportunities are provided along 1/2 mile of Nodaway River frontage on the southwest corner of the area, and multi-use trails are open to bicycling, horses and horseback riding.

Located in the same vicinity is the Worthwine Island Conservation Area, also managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Home Page
Andrew County, MO
816-271-3100

On Google Maps
Honey Creek Conservation Area

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

Featured Stop: Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge

Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge is a 7,350-acre refuge located in northwestern Missouri, within the historic Missouri River floodplain. The refuge was established in 1935 as a resting, feeding, and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife that populate a vast wetland basin containing large marshes. The northern section of the refuge includes a portion of the Loess Hills, a unique geologic formation caused by wind deposited soil. This region holds some of the last remnants of native prairie.

The Squaw Creek refuge is located thirty miles north of St. Joseph, MO, a drive of only a few miles from Big Lake State Park, one of northwest Missouri's most popular outdoor recreation areas.

Home Page
P.O. Box 158
Mound City, Missouri 64470
660-442-3187

On Google Maps
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge

National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge

"Bee House Hives" posted a blog entry today containing some wonderful photos from the National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge in west-central Montana, accompanied by some historical background explaining why the refuge was created.

Click on the photos to view them at full resolution.

“First Friday” at Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge

The Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, headquartered in the town of Sumner in north-central Missouri, has announced a schedule of events for its “First Friday”, to be held on Friday, June 5 from 5PM through 9PM. The schedule includes activities such as campfire music, nature walks and horse shoe pitching, with drinks and refreshments being served.

You can view the complete schedule of events (requires the Adobe Reader) here: JuneFlyer .

Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Located near the confluence of the Grand and Missouri Rivers, Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1937 to provide resting, nesting and feeding areas for waterfowl, primarily ducks. Since then, emphasis has expanded to include the Eastern Prairie Population of Canada geese. The refuge is a main wintering area for Canada geese, with a population numbering between 10,000 and 80,000 annually.

Home Page
16194 Swan Lake Avenue
Sumner, MO 64681
(660) 856-3323

On Google Maps
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge

The roadtrip: National Bison Refuge

The title-line directly above links to a blog entry describing the 40 mile drive (odometer-wise) from Missoula, Montana northward to the National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge . The description is well-written, helping you to imagine actually sitting there and looking out the window while driving along Highway 93, although some photos would have been greatly appreciated.

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.

Featured Stop: Daniel Boone Conservation Area

The Daniel Boone Conservation Area, located in western Warren County, is 8 miles southwest of Jonesburg, and about an hours drive from St. Louis. This conservation area is a predominantly forested area. Features include primitive camping, a picnic area, four fishing ponds (with two currently under renovation), and a multi-purpose trail.

Daniel Boone Conservation Area
Warren County, MO
636-441-4554