USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Illinois, Missouri

Great River National Wildlife Refuge

The Great River National Wildlife Refuge protects approximately 11,600 acres (47 km2) along 120 miles (190 km) of the Mississippi River, stretching north of St. Louis, Missouri. Three separate units are located in the floodplain, on both the Illinois and Missouri sides of the river.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge11,823 acresUSFWSILMO
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
1fire
active
Idnr - Siloam Springs Rx (prescribed burn) · 35 mi from the center · 350 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StatesIllinois, Missouri
Size11,823 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 3
Center point40.0495, -91.4741
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24)

Boundary map

8 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Idnr - Siloam Springs Rx

    35 mi from the center point · 350 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historic Site · 17 mi
New Philadelphia National Historic Site
National Register listings within 15 miles · 78 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Great River National Wildlife Refuge?

11,823 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Great River National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Great River National Wildlife Refuge in?

The boundary crosses Illinois and Missouri.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Great River National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 40.050, -91.474. New Philadelphia National Historic Site is 17 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Great River National Wildlife Refuge right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Idnr - Siloam Springs Rx at 35 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Great River National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 24 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Great River National Wildlife Refuge?

New Philadelphia National Historic Site (17 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Great River National Wildlife Refuge?

78 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Geo. M. Verity and Clark, James Beauchamp, House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Great River National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.