USFWS · Nebraska, Iowa

Desoto National Wildlife Refuge

DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1958, is located along the banks of the Missouri River in the U.S. states of Iowa and Nebraska. The 8,362-acre (3,384 ha) refuge preserves an area that would have been otherwise lost to cultivation. In 1960, an Army Corps of Engineers channelization project on the Missouri River moved the main river channel in the area to the west. The former river channel became DeSoto Lake, a seven-mile long oxbow lake. As a result, part of the Nebraska portion of the refuge lies on the east side of the Missouri River.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge8,354 acresUSFWSNEIA1 campground within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StatesNebraska, Iowa
Size8,354 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 3
Center point41.5207, -96.0174
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Desoto National Wildlife Refuge20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.78 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.94 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.76 inches of precipitationApril: 3.30 inches of precipitationMay: 5.01 inches of precipitationJune: 5.06 inches of precipitationJuly: 3.92 inches of precipitationAugust: 4.17 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.31 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.41 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.43 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.31 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 21.3°F averageFebruary: 25.5°F averageMarch: 37.5°F averageApril: 49.8°F averageMay: 60.3°F averageJune: 70.6°F averageJuly: 74.4°F averageAugust: 72.6°F averageSeptember: 64.8°F averageOctober: 51.7°F averageNovember: 37.4°F averageDecember: 26.0°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Ft Calhoun 4W, 7 miles from the center point at 1,310 feet, station USC00252980 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 33 inches a year.

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

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

USACE · 9.2 mi
Cunningham Lake Dam Site 11 Campground
First-comeNE

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historic Trail · 16 mi
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
National Register listings within 15 miles · 50 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Desoto National Wildlife Refuge?

8,354 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 Desoto National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Desoto National Wildlife Refuge in?

The boundary crosses Nebraska and Iowa.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Desoto National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Cunningham Lake Dam Site 11 Campground, 9.2 miles out. 1 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 Desoto National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 41.521, -96.017. Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail is 16 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 Desoto National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 21 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 Desoto National Wildlife Refuge?

Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (16 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Desoto National Wildlife Refuge?

50 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Bertrand Site and Frahm, Alfred H. and Sarah, 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: DeSoto 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.