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.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| States | Illinois, Missouri |
| Size | 11,823 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 3 |
| Center point | 40.0495, -91.4741 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
Boundary map
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.
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedIdnr - 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
- 5.8 miGeo. M. Verity ↗National Historic Landmark
- 12 miClark, James Beauchamp, House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.4 miFirst Presbyterian Church ↗La Grange, MO
- 0.4 miRhoda, Fred, House ↗La Grange, MO
- 0.5 miWaltman, A.c., House ↗La Grange, MO
- 0.5 miHipkins, Joseph, House ↗La Grange, MO
- 0.5 miClifford-Wyrick House ↗Clarksville, MO
- 0.6 miGray, William, House ↗La Grange, MO
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 2026-09-18, 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.