Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Looking west over the Mississippi River from an overlook within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Map of the United States
Location	Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, United States
Nearest city	Dubuque, Iowa
Coordinates	42°53′00″N 91°06′00″W / 42.88333°N 91.10000°W / 42.88333; -91.10000
Area	240,000 acres (970 km2)
Established	1924
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Upper Mississippi River Floodplain Wetlands
Designated	1 May 2010
Reference no.	1901[1]

The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a 240,000-acre (970 km²),^[2] 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.

In its northern portion, it is in the Driftless Area, a region of North America that remained free from ice during the last ice age. Certain parcels contained within the refuge were later transferred to the Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge.

The refuge is an important element of the Mississippi Flyway.^[3] It has many wooded islands, sloughs, and hardwood forests. The wildlife found here include the canvasback duck, tundra swan, white-tailed deer, and muskrat. Recreational activities include boating, hunting, fishing, and swimming.

Refuge Headquarters are located in Winona, Minnesota, with district offices located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and Thomson, Illinois.