Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States

Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge covers 38,697 acres in Yazoo County, Mississippi, and holds a 21,000-acre block of bottomland forest in the lower Mississippi River alluvial floodplain. Upland ridges rise barely a foot above the swamp and carry nuttall, willow and water oaks, while overcup oak, bitter pecan and ash mark the transition zone. Reforested and agricultural areas complete the habitat.

Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1978 and covers 38,697 acres in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It is one of seven refuges in the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex. About 21,000 acres of the refuge form one of the largest blocks of bottomland forest in the lower Mississippi River alluvial floodplain.

The refuge is one of seven units in the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex, named for the president who created the first US wildlife refuge in 1903. Its bottomland forest, sloughs and reforested fields are managed for wintering waterfowl and migratory songbirds, and the swamp rabbit, mink and raccoon living there are the same fur-bearers once trapped across the Yazoo County lowlands.

The main entrance is reached from Highway 49W west of Yazoo City by heading south on River Road. Visitors should allow time for exploration and be prepared for changing water levels.

The area serves as a major stopping point for wild ducks and provides winter homes for tens of thousands of them. At the same time, songbirds use the refuge as a stopover during their seasonal migrations.