USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a 240,000-acre (970 km2), 261-mile-long (420 km) National Wildlife Refuge located in and along the Upper Mississippi River. It runs from Wabasha, Minnesota, in the north to Rock Island, Illinois, in the south.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge190,553 acresUSFWSWIIAMN7 campgrounds within 10 mi
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Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StatesWisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois
Size190,553 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 3
Center point44.2328, -91.9185
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13)

Boundary map

76 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

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

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 6 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

USACE · Inside
Thomson Causeway
Reservable133 sites
USACE · 0 mi
Blanding Landing
Reservable38 sites
USACE · 0.1 mi
Pool 10, River Of Lakes Campground
First-comeIA
USACE · 0.1 mi
Bulger's Hollow Recreation Area
Reservable24 sites
USACE · 0.2 mi
Grant River
Reservable74 sites
USACE · 0.5 mi
Blackhawk Park
Reservable150 sites
USACE · 8.1 mi
Fishermans Corner
Reservable56 sites

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument · 1 mi
Effigy Mounds National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 402 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?

190,553 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 Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in?

The boundary crosses Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Thomson Causeway. 7 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 44.233, -91.918. Effigy Mounds National Monument is 1 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?

Effigy Mounds National Monument (1 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?

402 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Dousman Hotel and Brisbois, Michael, 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: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish 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.