Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

About Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1980 “For the preservation and development of the environmental resources ... to conserve the diversity of fish and wildlife and their habitat ... for the conservation and development of wildlife and natural resources, the development of outdoor recreation opportunities, and interpretative education,” and “to give special consideration to management of the timber on the refuge to insure continued commercial production and harvest compatible with the purposes for which the refuge is established and the needs of fish and wildlife which depend upon the dynamic and diversified hardwood forest” (94 Stat. 595, dated June 28, 1980);The bottomland hardwood forests of the Refuge contain a diversity of plant and animal species. Over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish can be found on the refuge. Today, the refuge consists of nearly 80,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forests and oxbow lakes. This type of habitat once covered 25 million acres of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Today, the state's largest population of the Louisiana black bear lives throughout the refuge alongside healthy populations of white-tailed deer, American alligators, and other native wildlife species. The last sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker, which is thought to be extinct by most scientists, occurred in the 1940's adjacent to what is now the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge.

How to Get There

CAUTION: Using a GPS navigation system will sometimes NOT bring you to the Visitor Center. Please follow driving directions below!!!Directions from I-20 Eastbound: Exit at Waverly (exit 157). Turn left onto Hwy 577 North. After approximately 1½ -2 miles, turn right onto Hwy 80 East. After approximately 8 miles, turn right onto Quebec Road. Follow Quebec Road for approximately 11 miles and the visitor center and headquarters are on the left. Directions from I-20 Westbound: Exit at Tallulah (exit 171). Turn right onto Hwy 65 North and drive approximately 2 miles into Tallulah. Turn left between the courthouse and Popeyes onto Hwy 80 West. After approximately 7 miles, turn left onto Quebec Road. Follow Quebec Road for approximately 11 miles and the visitor center and headquarters are on the left.

Plan Your Visit to Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)