MINGO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Day 2.
Day 74 – 40 degrees at 7 a.m. this morning, mostly sunny. On the way to Mingo NWR, we checked the whole campground. It’s only us and one other trailer. Quiet! They have several cabins; no one was camping in them but they looked nice, each with a porch overlooking Lake Wappapello. When we arrived here last Friday (not that long ago), there was no sign of Spring. Today there were some trees & flowers blooming.
We went to the Post Office to pick up our mail, then spent the day at the Wildlife Refuge. Very few people there since it was a weekday this time. Again, we didn’t see as much activity as we’ve seen here in the past. But we did see eagles, hawks, deer, herons, ducks, a few small birds, and lots of turtles. This time of year, evidently the turtles rule the Refuge. The Ranger said we were here about a month too late & most of the waterfowl left then to migrate back north. Next time we come south during the winter, we’ll come here earlier.
Click any picture below to see a slideshow.
Back to the RV for one last night here. Tomorrow we move on to Illinois. The high today was 59 degrees – a gorgeous sunny day. We had beer, wine, homemade bread, and our Tomato Basil Soup with Shrimp for dinner. YUM.
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge: 24279 State Highway 51, Puxico, MO 63960; (573) 222-3589; for info call 1-800-344-WILD or www.fws.gov/refuge/mingo. From the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2017 brochure, “Mingo National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1944 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to serve as a resting and wintering area for migratory waterfowl and to protect the bottomland hardwood forest in the Mingo Basin. The 21,592-acre refuge consists of 15,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest, 5,000 acres of marsh & natural streams, 1,275 acres of cropland & moist-soil units, and 700 acres of grassland openings. The western portion of the refuge also includes the Federally designated 7,730-acre Mingo Wilderness consisting of primitive upland forest & untrammeled bottomland hardwood swamp along Stanley Creek, Mingo River, and Monopoly Marsh.” This was our 3rd visit to Mingo NWR. The main reason we love this place is the extensive auto tour roads throughout the Refuge. Off-season we can drive VERY slow for an entire day & not get in anyone’s way. The well-maintained gravel roads run alongside almost all the ditches containing the swamp, marsh & spillage waters, and during migration seasons huge numbers of waterfowl & other birds visit. Many mammals & reptiles (turtles) also make Mingo their full-time home. In addition to the roads going through the productive Refuge waterways, there is a 17-mile auto tour through the Ozark hills that border the west side of the Refuge. On the northeast sides of the Refuge, the Duck Creek Conservation Area is available for hiking & it includes a short road. Kayaking & canoeing, fishing, hunting in season, hiking, biking, a long boardwalk trail through the marsh & swamp, and a visitor’s center with exhibits & a film are all included as part of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. (Some roads might be closed during nesting seasons, or due to flooding; also visitor’s center hours vary during seasons. Check for more information before visiting.)
Lake Wappapello State Park: We’ve stayed at this campground three times now. We really like it here. This time we camped at site #41 (the same site we had last time), and I think it’s our favorite campsite here. All sites have electric hook-ups. Water is available at spigots throughout the Park. There is a dump station. We paid only $10 per night! This is the off-season, senior citizen discounted rate for a premium, 50-AMP campsite. Please see the following link for a complete, detailed review of the State Park, its two campgrounds, and all their facilities. Sunday, April 15, 2018