Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

About Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

The lower Missouri River is the largest free-flowing river in the United States, encompassing nearly 1.5 million acres of bottomland habitat for fish, wildlife and plants, while providing commercial transportation and recreation opportunities for communities across our nation’s heartland. Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was established in 1994 for the development, advancement, management, conservation and protection of fish and wildlife resources. Refuge staff focus on restoring those resources in the Missouri River floodplain on the rivers final 367 miles to its confluence with the Mississippi River, from St. Louis to Kansas City. Currently, the refuge has grown to almost 20,000 acres of wildlife habitat.The historic Missouri River - nicknamed Big Muddy - because of its murky, sediment-filled waters, serves as beneficial habitat for many wildlife species. The rivers ability to carve through floodplains and create side channels, wetlands and oxbow lakes has attracted and sustained wildlife since the retreat of glaciers from the region thousands of years ago. Drastic changes began to occur on the Missouri River soon after the journey of Lewis and Clark described its wildlife to the world in the early 1800s. Over the next century hundreds of steamships sank in the river and efforts began to control it. By the 1980s, more than 700 miles of river had been channelized, reducing risks but also crucial habitat. Scour holes, also referred to as blew holes, provide unique habitats on the Missouri River floodplain. They form during flood events as floodwaters encounter an obstacle, usually a levee, a road or other man-made structure. If a portion of the structure gives way, the flood water pours through a constricted opening and blows out or scours the substrate away, forming a plunge pool. When the flood water recedes, a semi -permanent water body - one to 40 acres - is left behind. Scour holes provide habitat for fish, amphibians, turtles, birds and mammals. Bot

How to Get There

To reach the refuge headquarters in Southeast Columbia, Missouri, take the AC exit off Highway 63; turn east onto New Haven Road. Travel one mile to USGS Environmental and Contaminants Research Center. The refuge office is located down the third driveway on the right off New Haven Rd. Located in Missouri at twelve separate units along the final 367 miles of the Missouri River. All the refuges units are open to the public and many have at least one parking facility and informational kiosk. Some units have trails, scour lakes for fishing, and all are open to hunting and wildlife viewing. Check out the Points of Interest section of our "Plan Your Visit" section of our main website for more detailed information on how to get to these different areas.

Plan Your Visit to Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Big Muddy National Fish and 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)