Established in 1987, Little River National Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 530 refuges throughout the United States managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the only national system of lands dedicated to conserving our wildlife heritage for people today and for generations yet to come. Little River National Wildlife Refuges' primary purpose is to preserve the bottomland hardwood forests for migratory waterfowl on the Central Flyway. Visitors to this 15,000-acre refuge, tucked in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, step into an era before civilization. Flocks of mallards and wood ducks glide along the sloughs and oxbows of Litte River past the flared trunks of cypress trees. Listen to the croaks and whistles of many frogs.

Cypress Knees, FWS Images

Watch for an alligator floating in still waters. (Pictured to the left - FWS Photos). Alligators are common along the auto tour for visitors with keen eyes. The length of the alligator, in feet, is proportional to the inches of space between the eyes and nose. For example, if you see an alligator with 4 inches between the eyes and nose, it is probable that the "gator" is 4 feet long. An alligator grows a foot a year for the first 4 years and then approximately
6 inches a year.