Mingo National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge spans 21,676 acres of bottomland hardwood forest, marsh waters, and grasslands within an ancient channel of the Mississippi River.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service purchased the Mingo Swamp in 1945 after the area experienced timber depletion and environmental deterioration.

Native American tribes including Quapaw, Osage, Shawnee, Delaware, and Mingo populations utilized this land for hunting over 7,000 years.

Visitors access multiple auto tour routes, a nature boardwalk trail, observation points, and designated areas for hunting and fishing throughout the year.

The refuge contains the final remaining large section of bottomland forest native to Missouri's bootheel region, shaped by the Mississippi River 25,000 years ago.

Location: Stoddard County

Inception: 1944

Website: https://fws.gov/refuge/mingo

GPS coordinates: 36.96820,-90.14690

Latest update: March 3, 2025 11:31