Welcome to White River NWR
Buck Lake in November. Credit: Richard Hines
White River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 for the protection of migratory birds. The refuge lies in the floodplain of the White River near where it meets the mighty Mississippi River. Long and narrow, three to ten miles wide and almost ninety miles long, the refuge is one of the largest remaining bottomland hardwood forests in the Mississippi River Valley. The refuge's fertile forests and three hundred lakes are interlaced with streams, sloughs, and bayous. The result is a haven for a myriad of native wildlife and migratory birds.
White River National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 550 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States. Managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the Department of the Interior, the National Wildlife Refuges encompass over 95 million acres of land for wildlife.
The mission of the Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Click here for Flood Images of the Refuge
Refuge Road Update:
- All roads and ATV trails on the North and South Units of the Refuge are open unless signed or marked otherwise.
- User should be aware that due to heavy silt residue, roads may become slick during rain events.
- As road conditions change, this message will be updated.
