Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi, United States

Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge covers 48,000 acres in Noxubee, Oktibbeha and Winston counties, Mississippi. About 44,500 acres are bottomland and upland forest; the wetlands centre on Bluff Lake (1,200 acres) and Loakfoma Lake (600 acres), with four green tree reservoirs and sixteen smaller reservoirs. Goose Overlook is a 30-foot observation platform above Bluff Lake, and a 1,000-foot boardwalk reaches an overlook at Cypress Island.

Land for the refuge was obtained in the 1930s through the Resettlement Administration and was controlled under the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act. In 1940 the area was established as a National Wildlife Refuge to protect wetlands for migratory birds. In February 2012 it was renamed for Sam D. Hamilton, a former director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The refuge is named after Sam D. Hamilton, a former director of the Fish and Wildlife Service; the renaming took place in February 2012, when the original Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge took his name. Licensed hunters use the refuge for deer, turkey, rabbit and squirrel, with different open windows for each species through the year.

You can walk through the refuge on marked trails that range from short strolls to longer hikes through different parts of the landscape. A wooden boardwalk connects observation points and leads to a raised overlook where wildlife viewing is best.

Researchers from Mississippi State University work directly at this refuge to study how forests and wildlife can be better protected. This ongoing work means the refuge is constantly monitored and improved based on what scientists learn.