Mingo Wilderness
Eighteen thousand years ago, the Mississippi River flowed through what is now Mingo Wilderness, forming a rich swampland of bottomland hardwoods, cypress, and tupelo. This biologically diverse habitat attracted Native Americans and later settlers, who logged and drained much of the forest. In 1944, Congress established the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge to preserve the remaining forest. Today, this Wilderness protects crucial habitat for river otters, bald eagles, wood ducks, swamp rabbits, and migratory waterfowl along the Mississippi Flyway. Located in the western third of the refuge, Mingo Wilderness features rolling hills of the Ozark Plateau, Monopoly Marsh, and miles of canoeable waterways under a canopy of cypress and hardwoods.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Missouri |
| Size | 7,730 acres |
| Designated | 1976, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.98° N, 90.20° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18) |
Boundary map
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.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 3 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 14.1 miMoore, J. Herbert, House ↗Poplar Bluff, MO
- 14.3 miStoddard County Courthouse ↗Bloomfield, MO
- 14.4 miMiller, Henry, House ↗Bloomfield, MO
- 14.6 miWheatley Public School ↗Poplar Bluff, MO
- 14.6 miMark Twain School ↗Poplar Bluff, MO
- 14.7 miWilliamson--Kennedy School ↗Poplar Bluff, MO
- 14.8 miMoore, Thomas, House ↗Poplar Bluff, MO
- 14.8 miMoore--Dalton House ↗Poplar Bluff, MO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Missouri and hiking across the country
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Mingo Wilderness?
7,730 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mingo Wilderness?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mingo Wilderness in?
Missouri.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mingo Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1976.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mingo Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Mingo Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.980° N, 90.199° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Mingo Wilderness?
The National Register has 13 listings within 15 miles, including Moore, J. Herbert, House and Stoddard County Courthouse.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- 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.