NPS Photo

Park Superintendent Mike Madell

Welcome to the Missouri National Recreational River website. We hope you find our information useful, that your understanding and appreciation of the park grows, and that you will join us in caring for and protecting this remarkable national treasure.

Today's Missouri River is harnessed in its upper and middle reaches by a series of multipurpose dams and reservoirs. In its lower reach, the river has been further tamed by channelization. But two reaches of the once "big Muddy" along the Nebraska-South Dakota border are among the few remaining segments that are unchannelized and undammed, preserving remnants of the original free-flowing river.

The Missouri National Recreational River offers natural beauty and an exciting past for your enjoyment and enrichment. You will experience the river's ever-changing nature, the animals and plants that find a home in its realm, and the stories of people and events that have shaped its history. The Missouri National Recreational River strives to preserve these resources for current and future generations.

Whether you are here to gather information for a forthcoming visit, to research a term paper, or simply to discover happenings on the "rec river," we hope this site serves you well. 

Michael Madell, Superintendent